The Enigma named Imprinting
by Hmz0975
Summary: Why do I need him like a human needs air to breathe? Why do I feel so restless when he is not around me? The rational part of my brain argues that he is my sister's boyfriend and it is wrong to have such thoughts about him but my heart disagrees and says that he is mine like I am his. And my life has become a constant struggle between heart and brain.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-

"Bella" whispered a soft voice in my ear

I ignored it and snuggled deeper into my blanket

"Bellaaaa" the same voice giggled now louder

I opened my one eye and took a look at the person currently sitting on my bed with her arms crossed around her torso and a stern expression on her face.

"Yes Hazel" I managed to speak out

"I want banana nutella crepes" said my five year old half sister pouting

"Where's mom?"

"She had to run to the clinic"

"And dad?"

She rolled her eyes "At the station but he otherwise can't cook"

"Yeah true that" I said nodding my head

"Why don't you ask Leah?"

She rolled her eyes again "She is sleeping"

"So even I was sleeping?"

"She gets angry and shouts if you wake her up" she said giggling

I thought for a few seconds "Yeah sorry that was my mistake for even suggesting it"

"What about Sethy?"

"He starts cuddling you and falls asleep again"

I laughed with her "Okay come on I will make you your banana nutella crepes"

She gave me a huge smile and pulled me out of bed

I walked with her to the kitchen of our five bedroom house on the Quileute reservation, La Push.

"You sure you want crepes not cereal or pop tarts?"

She shook her head and sat on one of the bar stools

I nodded my head and starting removing the ingredients for the crepes. Hazel Swan was my half sister and the daughter of Charlie Swan and Sue Swan nee Clearwater. My Parents Charlie and Renee had divorced when I was 4 after which Renee had hightailed out of Forks citing that she was only 20 and did not want the responsibility of being a single mother. Charlie had been glad to look after me. I had not seen Renee since that day though she did send me postcards once in a while of her living in Hawaii with her boyfriend. Charlie had a few reliable friends just down the road in La Push twenty minutes from where we lived in Forks and they had been a huge part of my childhood.

Sue Clearwater and Harry Clearwater were one of his friends. Their daughter Leah was my age and son Seth was four years younger than us. When Leah and I were seven and Seth was three, Harry had been in a car accident that had claimed his life and long story short Charlie and Sue had fallen in love while Charlie helped Sue get back on her feet. Two years later they were married and Charlie and I were on our way to live in La Push and I had two step siblings.

Leah had been difficult to live with, in the start and wanted nothing to do with me but in the months that followed she warmed up and became like a real sister to me. Today after eight years of living together in the same house she was not only my elder sister (by a few months) but also my best friend and confidante.

Seth was always the happy go lucky kid and was just happy to have two more people in his family. He had no memory of his father and readily accepted and loved Charlie when he stepped into that role. Though I never expressed it as much as Leah, I was equally protective of him and would skin anyone alive who tried to harm him.

Hazel Swan had joined our family five years ago three years after Charlie and Sue's marriage and was the baby of our family. All of us were overprotective of the kid.

"Morning Swan" said an annoying voice pulling me out of reverie

"What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like? Having breakfast" he said raising his eyebrows and sitting next to Hazel

"Why? Don't you have a house of your own?"

He sighed "Really this again?" "Haze, is your sister slow in the mornings?" he asked Hazel who was giggling

"Paul" I chided him

"Oh come on Swan, we are neighbors and you need to be kinder to your neighbors. Haven't you heard 'love thy neighbor'?"

I rolled my eyes "Shut up Paul"

Haze covered her mouth with her hand and I realized my mistake. Yikes.

"Sorry Hazel" "But seriously Paul, why are you here and how did you even enter? The door was locked"

"Charlie leaves the key under the doormat. So predictable and he is the freaking chief of police of Forks"

"Okay fine I get how you entered now tell me the why part of the question?"

"You are coming with me to Port Angeles today"

"What no"

"Come on please. I need advice on girl shopping and no one will come with me"

"Yeah there is a reason for that"

Paul Lahote was my neighbor since the past eight years and I shared a love-hate relationship with him. I love the guy but I also hate his guts as he annoys the shit out of me. Paul was one of the most reliable and fiercely loyal people I knew but he was also annoying and interfering. In short we were sort of friends that hated one another but still spent time with each other.

"Please Bella. I will owe you" he said

"Why do you need to go to Port Angeles though?"

I will kill him if he says it is for his latest conquest.

"It is mom's birthday in a few days and I don't know what to buy her"

Okay that is sweet. I would have totally backed out if he said it was for one of his conquests but I could not say no for this. Plus I really liked Amy Lahote. She always took my side when Paul and I fought.

"Fine but you owe me one and you are taking me bowling"

"Nope" he said shaking his head "Not happening"

"Please Paul" I said in a pleading voice

"Why don't you go with Leah?"

I rolled my eyes "She and Sam are joined by the hip and I don't want to be a third wheel"

He took a deep breath "Okay fine" "Now let me eat my breakfast in peace" he said eating another crepe.

Wait. That was my breakfast. Guess I will just eat something on the way.

"Good morning uninvited guest" said my sister entering the kitchen and looking at Paul before kissing me on the cheek.

"Good morning moody Bitch" he said "You woke up early? It is only eleven thirty"

"It is summer break" she said giving him a glare and sitting opposite him with her plate

"So why are you here again?" she asked him

"Bella and I are going to Port Angeles today"

"Oh really" she said looking at me in a teasing manner

Not what you think Leah

"Paul wanted to buy something for Amy's birthday" I said stepping in

"Oh" she said leaving the topic for now

"Good morning my beautiful sisters" said Seth entering the kitchen and kissing me, Leah and Hazel on the cheek "Hey Paul wassup"

Paul said a 'hey' before they both started talking about the baseball game tonight and Leah pulled me aside into the living room.

"What is it Leah?"

"So is it a date?" she asked me with a hopeful look on her face

"What no" "Paul and I don't like one another in that way"

She rolled her eyes "Both of you are the most clueless people on this planet, anyone can see the chemistry between you both except the two of you. Heck even a person as clueless as dad knows that you both are going to end up together"

"Paul and me together, no way"

"Wait for it sis" she said laughing before leaving the room leaving me alone with my thoughts. Paul and me, like that is ever going to happen.

I ignored these ridiculous thoughts and went upstairs to brush my teeth and take a quick shower. I could hear Paul and Leah bickering in the living room. I hope they don't tear each other's head off.

Twenty minutes later I was ready to go to Port Angeles with Paul.

"Hey you ready to leave?" I asked Paul

"Yeah let's go. I need to go your sister's driving me insane"

"You need brains to go insane Paul and sorry to say but you have none" Leah said smirking at him

He just showed her the finger and walked out of the house while I followed him telling my brother and sisters that I would be back in the evening.

I walked outside and sat in Paul's black Chevy truck.

He started driving and soon we were on our way to Port Angeles

"Music?" I asked him and he shrugged

"Play whatever, I don't mind"

I nodded my head and switched on the radio humming mindlessly to the song playing.

Paul and I had had a very different start to our 'friendship'. I had been a very subservient under confident introvert when I lived in Forks. My books were my only friends. I was shy and was content in hiding from the world. When I had moved to La Push High to continue my studies from here, on the very first day itself I had been bullied and made fun of. At that time Leah had wanted nothing to do with me and had stood by watching me cry in the corridors as the bullies tore my favorite book. At that time my savior had been Paul who had threatened my bullies holding them by the collar, saying that going against me meant going against him. After that day I was never bullied in my entire school life. Even after all these years I still had no idea why he had done that for a complete stranger while everyone else stood and watched the show. Leah had been the catalyst in getting me my confidence and after she warmed up to me I took a 360 degree turn from the girl who stuttered while talking to a girl who could confidently stand in front of an entire class and talk.

"You want to stop for breakfast?" he asked me

"You just ate Paul"

"Yeah but I am hungry again and you did not eat anything"

I smiled and nodded my head "Sure thanks"

After grabbing breakfast through the drive -thru we were back on our way to Port Angeles.

He parked the truck in the parking lot of the mall before we got out and started searching for a gift for Amy.

"So what are you looking for?" I asked him

"I don't know. What will she like?" "That is why I asked you to come with me"

I gave out a sigh "Fine let's see some jewellery"

Thirty minutes later we left the shop with a dove pendant in our bags.

"So what now?" he asked me

"Can we go to the bookstore?"

"This was not a part of the deal Swan" he said shaking his head

"Well deal with it. I was the only one willing to come with you so I get to reap the benefits"

Even though Paul would never admit it Paul did not have any friends who were girls. I was the only one. The others were either ex girlfriends or his latest conquests.

"Fine, lead the way"

The next few hours passed by quickly, after buying a few books and a pair of jeans for Paul we stopped by for lunch before going to the bowling Alley and playing a few rounds.

Finally at 5 pm Paul dropped me home.

I opened the door with my spare key to see my entire family sitting in the living room.

"Hey dad, mom" I said

"Bella, Leah told us you were in Port Angeles with Paul" said mom

"Yeah he wanted to buy something for Amy" I said going into my room to drop the bags before going back to the living room.

Leah and Sam were sitting on the loveseat while Seth sat opposite them with Haze in his lap.

"Hey Sam"

Samuel Uley and Leah had been dating since the past two years. They were as serious about one another as could be and had made plans of getting married as soon as Leah and I graduated next year. Sam had graduated this year and was currently working as a mechanic in la Push.

"Hey Bella" he said in his calm no expression involved voice

"So Sam how is work going?" asked Charlie

"It is going good Chief. Dowling has a lot of clients as the only auto shop in town"

"That is good but are you sure you don't want to go to college or maybe go see the world before you get married?" asked Charlie looking at Leah and Sam

"We are sure dad. Both of us want this" said Leah with a firm expression on her face

Charlie nodded his head

"So how is Allison?" asked Sue changing the subject "I have not seen her in a while"

"Yeah mom's in New York these days" said Sam "She wanted to visit but is busy with work"

Allison Uley was a news reporter for Fox news and lived in Seattle often travelling to other places for work. As far as I knew she had not come to La Push to visit in close to six months.

We made random conversation for a while before setting the table for dinner.

"Bells can I talk to you in your room?" asked Leah before we sat for dinner

"Sure" I nodded my head and walked to my room and she followed

"So how was the date?" she asked in a teasing manner

"Lee it was just two friends hanging out" I said rolling my eyes

"Seriously nothing happen?"

"Nope sorry to disappoint you"

"I thought maybe finally he got some sense and was going to ask you out" "But he is as dumb as you"

"Leah we are just friends and will always remain just friends"

"You know Sam and I kissed on the first date itself" she said lying down on my bed

"Yeah I remember, you had come running into my room to announce it"

"What do you think of Sam, Bells?"

I looked at her for a few minutes "Why this question Leah?"

She shrugged "Just"

"He is a genuinely nice guy and you both are perfect for one another"

"But?" she asked raising her eyebrow

"I find him too intense and serious like I have never seen the guy smile. Hear me out it is not a bad thing. Just not my type"

"I know your type is Paul" she said with a smirk

I threw a pillow at her "No my type is guys who I can laugh with and have a fun time with"

"Like Paul" she said laughing

"Yes I mean no" I said as she kept laughing

"Bella, Leah" shouted mom from the living room

"Coming mom" I shouted as I followed Leah back to the living room

Leah was talking rubbish. Paul and I have a completely platonic relationship and will never have anything more.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you Twisted Musalih, Natrosbel, YankeeGirlNJ, Taylor9901, catgrl, .7334, Beuty6, brankel1, Sassy Mami, MammaNita4, Kmpcarter, India Momma for your reviews.

A/N: Sorry I forgot to mention a few things in the first chapter. This is a Sam-Bella imprint story. The main story will start after Sam phases and imprints on Bella which will be in the coming chapter but they will not be instantly together. As of now I am just trying to set the base. The story will be unfair to Leah in the beginning but I can assure you that she will get her happy ending. Thank you.

Chapter 2-

'Come on Bella, you can do this' I mentally prepped myself for the day ahead as I looked into the mirror. I was wearing a black pencil skirt with a white blouse and black wedges. My hair was tied in a high ponytail and I had minimal make-up on. Today was an important day in my life. I was going to start working as a receptionist for Dowling's auto shop today. Dowling's auto shop was owned by a man in his mid-fifties named Jim Dowling and was the only auto shop currently in La Push. They had a lot of business but less employees and no receptionist due to which their office was in a mess.

Over the past two summers I had worked as a part time babysitter for a young couple in Forks but this year they no longer needed a babysitter and so I started looking out for a new job. After searching through the available options I decided to apply for the post of a receptionist at Dowling's though I had planned to continue with this job even after summer ended and school started again. I needed the money and it would give me something to do ahead. Unlike Leah who was going to get married next July I was not sure of my plans. Having a job or atleast some money would be good.

'I can do this. I have no problem talking to new people and am polite while talking. I am a cleanliness freak and can keep my desk neat and tidy and am good at organizing stuff plus I really need this job and Dowling doesn't care that I don't have any experience or am not yet a graduate. He just needs a person who can speak decent English and is polite, as soon as possible.'

"Bella" Sue's voice from the living room "Are you ready?"

"Coming" I shouted before taking a final look at myself in the mirror.

I walked into the living room to find Charlie and Sue eating breakfast and Seth on the couch watching TV with Hazel.

"Where's Leah?" I asked

"Work, she had a shift at Sully's burgers" said Sue

Leah was a waitress at Sully's burgers in Forks. Sully's had no vacancy when I applied and Sue refused to let me work as a receptionist at Forks hospital, the only other vacant option in Forks. When asked why, she refused to give an answer and just said it was her instinct that I should not work there. Looking at how adamant she was on this matter I relented and applied to Dowling's. Even Charlie failed to convince her to agree.

I quickly had breakfast before sitting in my truck and driving towards the outskirts of La Push where Dowling's Auto shop was located.

My red pickup truck had been a sixteenth birthday gift from Charlie and Sue. They had bought it from Billy and Jake had spent weeks in getting it into usable condition. This truck originally belonged to Charlie's best friend Billy Black, the tribal chief. Before Sue became a part of Charlie's life, Sarah Black had been the one to look after me. She was like another mother to me. All my early childhood memories revolved around Billy, Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca and Jake. Unfortunately the accident that claimed Harry Clearwater's life also left Billy bound to a wheelchair and he could no longer use this truck. None of his children wanted it and Charlie knew that I always preferred trucks to cars. Though it was old and rusty I liked it.

I parked my truck outside the shop and walked inside. There was a sliding door separating the mechanic part of the shop from the reception. The reception desk was currently vacant. I could hear noises coming from inside.

"Hello, anybody there?" I called out

Jim Dowling had told me in the brief conversation that I had with him that they were losing a lot of clients due to their lack of having someone to accept phone calls and having someone at the desk in case a client turned up and in the few minutes that I had been here I could see this.

"Hello" I called out again

"Bella, what are you doing here?" came a voice from behind me and I turned back to look. There stood Sam Uley with dirt and grime covering his face and clothes.

"I was told to come today by Jim. I am the new receptionist here"

"Oh yeah he told me that a girl will be stopping by. Leah also told me that you were starting work as a receptionist but I guess I didn't put two and two together. Sorry I had gone out for a few minutes"

"No problem" I smiled "So what are my duties? Sorry this is like my first real job I am a bit nervous"

"Don't be. It is easy work. Four of us work here including me. Jim does not come regularly, once in a few days. This will be your desk" he said pointing at a desk cluttered with files "You have to attend phone calls and take down messages, greet the client and see what they want, keep the reception area tidy and clean and respond to the mails if you get any. Yeah I guess that is it and oh we have a few regular clients who give their car almost every few weeks for servicing, you don't make them wait."

I nodded my head, sounds pretty simple.

"I will introduce you to the others" said Sam before opening the sliding door and going inside. The interiors were even more unkept and I could see three men I vaguely recognized working on several vehicles lying around.

"Hey Chris, Ben, Aaron" said Sam "This is the new receptionist Bella Swan"

They all mumbled hey before going back on their work.

"So I will be at my desk" I told Sam and walked outside again

I could hear him go back to the car he had been working on before I turned up.

I looked around and started cleaning my desk and organizing the files in alphabetical order. Around lunch time Aaron came outside to call me in for lunch. I had packed a sandwich before I left in the morning and joined them four in the room inside.

Chris was in his mid thirties and was married with three daughters and a fourth on the way. He was extremely talkative and welcoming. Aaron and Ben were in their late twenties and Aaron was a little friendlier than Ben who just replied in yes and no. I knew Sam from before because of Leah but in reality I knew nothing about the man and from the others around here I realized that no one really knew the real Sam. He spoke less and his face gave out even less. You could never tell if he liked something or not from his facial expression. He was a mystery to me. All I knew about him was that he was mature beyond his age and had grown up early in life because of his father deserting him and his mother when he was 5 and his mother becoming a workaholic after he left. Despite of being younger than the other three he was the leader here in Jim's absence.

After lunch I got back to my work and attended calls and the clients who turned up for the next few hours. The day passed by fast and before I knew it Sam was shutting the shop in the evening. The other three had already left.

"Hey can you drop me home?" he asked me as I was about to sit in my truck "Some issue with my car brake so I am leaving it here. I will repair it tomorrow"

I nodded my head "Sure hop in"

He sat in my truck and I started driving. Even though Sam and Leah had been dating for the past two years, I realized I knew nothing about him except what Leah had told me and I had never spoken more than two lines to him.

I guess I should get to know him better after all we are going to be related in a few months.

"So what type of music do you like?"

"Excuse me?" he asked surprised

I pointed at the music system "Music"

"I like pop I guess"

I nodded my head "I prefer country music"

"Favorite movie"

"Umm I don't know. I am not that much into movies" he said rubbing the back of his neck

"But you and Leah go to see movies all the time" I said surprised by his answer

"Yeah Leah is fond of them"

I nodded my head "So what do you do in your free time?"

"I like sketching. I make portraits"

"Wow. I would love to see some of your work"

He shrugged "Sure someday"

At the very moment my phone rang in my bag. I checked it to see Leah had messaged.

"Hey Sam, do you want to join me and Leah for dinner? We are going to the La Push Diner"

"Okay I don't have any plans as such"

I quickly messaged Leah telling her that I was bringing Sam and would meet her there directly. I quickly drove past Sam's house which was on the way to the diner.

"Sam, can I tell you something?"

He nodded his head

I took a deep breath "Look I really love my sister and I don't want to see her get her heart broken. If you are not serious about her or not serious about marriage please don't lead her on. She loves you a lot"

"I love Leah, Bella. I know you must be thinking like this because of my father's reputation. He was the La Push manwhore but I am not. I would never cheat on Leah"

I shook my head "I don't think you are a manwhore Sam and I would never compare you to your father. It is just that she is my sister and I want her to be happy"

"I understand your concern Bella and I want the same for her"

I nodded my head and continued driving the rest of the way in silence.

We soon reached the diner and I parked my truck. Leah was waiting outside for us and she wrapped her arms around Sam as soon as he got of the truck.

"Hey I missed you" she whispered

"I missed you too" he said

I rolled my eyes "Can you stop making lovey dovey eyes at one another? You both saw each other in the morning today guys"

"You are just jealous that this is not you and Paul" said Leah smirking at me

"Wait, Bella and Paul Lahote? When did this happen?" asked Sam

"It has not happen and is never going to happen" I said "This is just in Leah's imagination"

"We will see" she said giving me an evil smile before walking into the diner.

Sam and I followed her in.

We sat at one of the empty tables and ordered our food. For a weekday the diner was unusually full, maybe because of summer. A lot of people from Forks were also here.

"Can I join you?" asked a familiar voice

"If we say no will you leave?" asked Leah

"Nah probably not" said Paul before sitting on the seat next to mine

"So Baby, how was your day?" asked Leah to Sam

Before Sam could answer Paul looked at me "So baby, how was your day?"

I threw one of my French fries at him "Don't call me baby"

He laughed loudly and I blushed.

Damn you Leah making me think about Paul in this manner. Paul is my friend. I don't like him romantically and he doesn't like me in that manner.

Sam started talking to Paul and I thanked him with my eyes for changing the topic.

Easy conversation continued throughout dinner and Leah left to drop Sam while I got into my truck to drive home.

The next two weeks passed by quickly between work and home. I was adjusting well at the auto shop and I had become friends with Chris and Aaron. Even Ben was talking in more words than yes and no with me though Sam was the same quiet person. We were cordial but had not spoken much since the dinner.

I met Chris's wife Melinda when she came over one day and we became friends easily. She was a librarian at the public library in Forks and was a conversationalist and I had several debates with her. Chris and Melinda had also invited me for dinner over at their place which I had readily agreed to.

Today was Sunday and my off day at work. When I woke up everyone else was yet asleep and so I decided to go meet my other family who I had not seen in several days. I baked an apple pie before sitting in my truck and driving to my destination.

I knocked on the door of the quaint red house.

"Bella" said a voice before the said person came and hugged me

"Hey Sarah"

"Come in" she said "I will make you some breakfast. Billy has just sat for breakfast"

I nodded my head and handed her the apple pie.

"Hey Billy" I said entering the house and sitting opposite him on the table

"Bella, I am seeing you after days"

"I know, been busy with work"

"I am not ready to lose all three of my daughters, Bella" said Sarah entering the room with a plate in her hand

"Sorry I will try to visit you more often" I said taking the plate from her.

She nodded her head. For the first year after Renee left Charlie and I behind, every morning Charlie would drop me here at the Blacks before work and Sarah would take care of me like she took care of her own children and Charlie would pick me up again in the evening. After I started school, every day after school hours, one of Charlie's junior deputies would pick me up and drop me here, where I would be till Charlie could pick me up. There were days when I would have dinner over here or even Sarah would be the one to put me to sleep. It was not like Charlie did not care but his career was progressing and it demanded his time and Sarah took care of me more like a mother than an aunt.

After Charlie and Sue's marriage things changed for the better but Billy and Sarah would always remain my second parents.

"How are Rach and Becca?" I asked Sarah

"Becca is in Hawaii these days. She is travelling and seeing new places and Rach is in Seattle. She wanted to get settled before classes started"

"When is Becca coming back?"

"I don't know Bella. She never really liked living here and always wanted to leave"

I nodded my head. The twins were a year older than me. Rebecca never liked living here and from the age of thirteen, her only dream was to travel the world. Rachel also wanted to leave La Push but she wanted to go to college instead.

"Where is Jake?"

"In his garage" said Billy

"I will go see him"

I left the main house and walked towards the Garage. Jake had been obsessed with vehicles since he was a child and was currently rebuilding a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit. Jake had also been my best friend and brother since we were children. He had been the one to teach me how to change a tire or change the motor oil in a car before Charlie could do so.

"Hey Jake"

"Hey Bells" "Soda?"

"Sure" "How is the rebuilding going?"

"Good. I will finish it in a few months"

I nodded my head and sat next to him reading a magazine and watching him work.

We spoke a bit about school and work before I left to go back home.

Charlie and Sue had gone out for dinner by the time I reached and Hazel was at a sleepover. I quickly cooked dinner for me, Leah and Seth before calling them both downstairs for what I called a sibling dinner.

After dinner we sat on the couch and watched a movie. As I looked at my elder sister and younger brother I was thankful once again that Renee left me with Charlie and Charlie married Sue. I loved my siblings and would not let anything ever come in between of us.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you Twisted Musalih, .7334, Anastasia Slytherin, sarae32, catgrl, MammaNita4 and my guest reviewers for your reviews.

Guest: Bella's desk is outside the main garage (where Sam stays) and is separated by a sliding door. Thank you for your review.

Chapter 3-

"Sam, Bella can you both come here for a minute?" asked Jim

I said a yes before walking towards his office. I had now been working as a receptionist in this garage since a month and had met Jim and his wife Evangeline a few times. They were a childless couple both in their mid fifties and were kind people. Jim had worked and managed this garage for more than two decades and had now taken a step back and only visited once a week. Sam was the person in charge as of now.

"Yes Jim?" said Sam

"I had a work for you both"

I nodded my head

"Can you drive to Port Townsend and get the car parts that I had ordered? It is urgent and we cannot wait"

"Why not send Aaron or Ben?" asked Sam "I am working on Casey Fuller's minivan currently and I need to finish this today"

"Sam, you are the best I have and I need you to check the parts before getting them here"

Sam sighed and nodded his head

"Okay but why do I need to go?" I asked him confused "Shouldn't I be sitting at my desk instead?"

"It is a long journey. Go give him company" he said nonchalantly

"Excuse me?"

He sighed loudly "look I am giving you both a full expense paid trip. Take my car and go"

Sam and I both nodded our heads hesitantly

"Great so leave now" he said pointing at the door

"Give me ten minutes" I told Sam after we left his office "I need to freshen up"

"Okay I will be in the car"

After making sure that my hair and make-up were in place I grabbed my handbag from the desk and made my way to the car.

"It should take us close to three hours" he said as I sat in the car

I nodded my head. I messaged Leah that I was going to Port Townsend and would back by night. She would inform the others.

Sam started driving and soon we were on our way.

I hummed to the music playing on the radio while looking outside, for a while in silence

"Let me know when you want to take a break for lunch" he said and I nodded my head

"Sam, have you ever played two truths and a lie?"

He shook his head "No what is that"

"The game we are going to play because I am bored and we still have a long way to go. It is simple though, I will say three statements two which are true and one which is a lie. You have to guess which is true and which the lie is"

"Okay you start"

I took a deep breath "I am a cat person, my middle name is Marie and my birth date is 13th September"

"I know your birthday is on thirteenth September so that is true" he said "I think your middle name is Marie so I would say that the lie is that you are a cat person"

I nodded my head and smiled "See you got it, your turn"

"I have never broken a bone, I have never travelled out of State and I'm not ticklish"

"Okay this is tough" "I think the ticklish one is true and I think most of us have broken a bone or atleast I have broken several so I am going to say the never broken a bone is a lie and the other two are truths"

He nodded his head "You are correct"

"Sam, you have never been out of the state?" I asked him surprised

He shook his head

"Okay which is your dream destination?"

"I don't have a dream destination"

"Think about it, the one place anywhere in the world that you really want to visit atleast once in your life"

He was quiet for a few minutes "New York"

I smiled "Mine is London" "So let's get back to the game, my turn" "I am horrible at dancing, I still watch cartoons and my favorite food is sushi"

"I am going to take a guess and say your favorite food is not sushi and the others are true"

I nodded my head laughing "My favorite food is Mac and Cheese"

"You still see cartoons?" he asked me raising his eyebrows

"Don't judge. Haze sees them and we all see it with her. Seth also sings the theme songs with her"

He laughed a genuine laugh bringing a smile on my face too.

We played the game for some more time before stopping for lunch and continuing on our journey.

Soon we reached at the address Jim had provided us with.

"You coming in?" asked Sam as he parked the truck

I shook my head "I am thinking of doing a little sightseeing"

Jim had given me the opportunity, why not use it.

"Okay I will take close to two hours"

"No problem. I will meet you here in two hours"

He nodded his head and walked inside the building while I sat in the driver's seat and took out my phone to see where all I could go. This was the first time I was coming to Port Townsend and I would not let such an opportunity of seeing a new place pass.

First I went to the Northwest Maritime Centre which was a building situated on the waterfront between the Historic district and Hudson Point Marina. Port Townsend's maritime heritage was celebrated here and it had a stunning view. After that I visited the Farmer's market which was considered to be one of the best medium sized markets in the state and it certainly didn't disappoint. I still had an hour to go so I ended up shopping on Water Street for myself as well as Leah. She would certainly love this stuff. Though Leah was not a fanatic about shopping she certainly loved it and I often had to accompany her on her shopping trips. For her 18th Birthday shopping we had gone to as far as Seattle.

After my two hours were up I drove back to where I had dropped Sam to see that he waiting for me outside.

"Sorry I am late" I said as he sat in the car after dumping a bag in the backseat

"No problem, I just got done"

"Are the parts which Jim wanted in order?"

"Yeah I called up Jim and told him. He was relieved. We needed it for the car of one of top notch clients immediately."

I nodded my head

"So what did you do?" he asked me

I quickly told him where all I went and what all I saw. I showed him the photos I had clicked.

"Hey can we stop at Starbucks?" I said

He nodded his head and parked the car outside the outlet.

"So what can I get for you, Madam?" he asked me smiling as we entered

"I would like a caramel Macchiato if it not a problem, dear sir" I said giggling

He nodded his head and walked towards the counter.

"You and your boyfriend make a very attractive couple" said a voice from behind me

I turned back to look at a woman in her late sixties who was looking at me curiously.

"I am sorry" I said surprised not sure if I heard correct the first time

"I said you and your boyfriend make an attractive couple"

"Excuse me" "He is not my boyfriend" I replied incredulously "He is dating my sister"

"Oh I am sorry. I just assumed. Please forgive me"

I nodded my head

"So where are you from? If you don't mind me asking, I figured you were a tourist" she asked me

"La Push, it is an Indian reservation in Clallam County"

"Yes I have heard about it" she said nodding her head "But you don't look native"

I sighed loudly. I hated explaining this to people. "My step mother is from there."

She nodded her head "So how come you are in Port Townsend?"

Luckily before I could answer Sam came up with my drink.

"Any problem, Bella"

I shook my head "No let's leave" "It was good meeting you" I smiled at the woman

"I hate nosy woman" I said as I sat in the car and Sam laughed

"What, she was just curious"

"Please she was not" I replied folding my arms

"Okay whatever you say" he replied hiding his smile

I sipped through my drink looking outside the window.

Sam drove the way back in silence and I soon fell asleep to the calmness around me.

I woke up with a jerk when I felt him hit a sudden brake and accidently banged my head at the windshield.

"Ouch" I said rubbing my forehead

"Are you okay?" said Sam looking worried

I nodded my head "Where are we? What happen?"

"We are just passing Forks. I saw a white Blur pass through the road and go in the woods, figured it must be an animal so I took a sudden brake. I am so sorry"

"It is okay. My head hurts and I feel slightly nauseous"

"We should go to the hospital. You can have a mild concussion"

"I feel okay"

I hated going to the hospital and tried to avoid it as much as possible which most of the times was a failed effort.

"No harm in getting it checked"

"Please Sam, mom will see it for me"

Sue was a nurse at the local clinic in La Push and the only one I trusted with my injuries.

"Look we are on the way to Forks Hospital and I am going to stop here and then call Chief Swan. He will want you to get it checked too"

I sighed "Fine"

He parked the car outside Forks hospital and walked in with me

I was taken to the ER while Sam waited outside.

A blonde doctor in his early thirties with paler skin than mine and yellow eyes entered the room.

"Hello I am Dr. Cullen" he said in a perfectly melodious voice raising his hand for me to shake

"Bella Swan" I said with a slight smile trying to hide my flinch at his ice cold touch

"Ah Chief Swan's daughter"

I smiled and nodded my head

"Okay let's check if you have a concussion"

He asked me a few basic questions like how I got the injury, what were the symptoms experienced, any problem with hearing, vision and memory etc before checking my vision, hearing and reflexes.

"I don't think you have a concussion Ms Swan but I would advise you to take some rest irrespective"

I nodded my head and thanked him

"Your family's waiting outside" he said and I sighed

Now my family would get all overprotective without reason.

I smiled and left the room. As expected Charlie, Sue and Leah were waiting outside with Sam.

"Bella, are you okay?" said Leah coming and hugging me "I got so worried when Sam called up dad"

"I am fine" I assured her and the other three "No concussion"

"Chief Swan good to see you again" said Dr. Cullen coming to where we were standing.

Suddenly I felt Sue stiffen and push me and Leah slightly behind. Her entire facial expression had changed and she looked angry and slightly worried simultaneously.

"Same here Carlisle" said Charlie "How are your children doing?"

"All good" he smiled

"They are attending Forks High if I am not wrong?" asked Charlie

"Yes my elder three Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper have just graduated and Edward and Alice are seniors"

In my peripheral vision I saw Sam shake slightly and his face had a disgusted expression on.

"I am assuming your daughters are in the tribal school?"

Charlie nodded his head "Both Leah and Bella will be seniors this year"

"My daughter Alice would love to meet them if you don't mind. She doesn't have many friends" he said with a creepy smile

"I am sorry Dr. Cullen" said Sue emphasizing on the last word "It will be a problem for us"

"I understand Mrs. Swan" "Please have a good day" he said before leaving

"Sam, are you okay?" asked Leah to Sam who was still shaking

"I don't know. I don't feel very good"

"Come I will take you home" she said before they both left

"Sue, why were you so rude to Carlisle?" asked Charlie as we walked towards his cruiser "He and his family are good people"

Sue scoffed "I trust my instincts Charlie and they tell me that my children should be kept far away from them and I will not listen to anyone on this matter. They may be good 'people' but my daughters will not be anywhere near them"

"Is this about the same thing like Billy?" asked Charlie

"What about Billy, dad" I asked

"I don't know. He was giving me some crap that they cannot be trusted"

"Billy is correct Charlie" said Sue

"Not you too Sue" said Charlie

"Look trust me on this" said Sue and Charlie nodded his head

I figured this was something to do with the legends. As a child Billy used to tell them to us as bedtime stories but they were just stories. Why were the elders taking it so seriously?

Charlie drove his cruiser back home and as soon as I was in my room I fell asleep. The day had taken its toll on me.

I woke up the next morning and after having breakfast left for work. Sue insisted that I take the day off but I was fine. Even Dr. Cullen had said that I did not have a concussion. No reason to take the day off.

"Hey" I greeted Chris as I entered the garage

"Hey Bella" he said "What happened yesterday?"

"Nothing, why"

"Sam is behaving weird. I have never seen the man this angry and he is shaking slightly and he has also developed strength overnight. Almost broke the door handle"

I shook my head "Nothing as such happened" "Maybe he is coming down with something"

He nodded his head and went back to work

"Hey Sam, are you okay?"

"I am fine" he scowled

"Umm you don't look fine. Are you sure? Maybe I should give Leah a call"

"I said I am fine" he growled

I nodded my head and took a step back slightly afraid "Okay I will be at my desk if you need anything"

I left before he could say anything more. Maybe he was just having a bad day or was falling ill. Anyways you cannot help a person who does not want to be helped.

I sat back at my desk and went through the files answering the few phone calls that I received.

The rest of the day flew by quickly and before I knew it, Sam was shutting the shop.

While walking towards my truck my hand accidently brushed his arm and I gasped.

"Sam, you are burning up" "You need to go to the hospital"

"I am fine I said" he scowled "Mind your own business"

"Fine" I said "I was just being a good person. If you don't want to get it checked your loss, it is your life after all"

"Good" he said through gritted teeth

I walked to my truck and entered it, banging the door.

Leah was in her room when I entered my house. I quickly went upstairs to talk to her.

"What is wrong with your boyfriend?" I asked her sitting on her bed

"Why?"

"He was behaving damn weird today and I am sure he is coming down with something"

"I don't know" she said sighing "I have not spoken to him since last night but he was behaving different last night too"

"Just talk to him" I said

"Yeah I will go see him after dinner, maybe take some soup for him"

I nodded my head and walked back to my room.

I told my family about my day trip to Port Townsend while having dinner as we had not been able to talk last night and this morning.

After dinner Leah left to go to Sam's house.

I was reading in my room when I heard a knock at my door. I opened the door to see Leah with tears running down her cheeks.

"Leah, what happened?" "Come in" I grabbed her hand and made her sit on the bed and gave her a glass of water.

"H…He left" she whispered taking her head in her hands

"Start from the beginning" I said sitting next to her

"I went to his house to talk to him. He was not himself, he was shouting and…"

"And what Leah?" I said clutching her hand in my hand

"We fought and he ran into the woods behind his house saying he needs to clear his head"

"In the woods?" I asked shocked "It is dark outside"

"I know, I tried stopping him but he left" she whispered

"Leah it is going to be okay, just give him some time. Everything will be fine"

"I doubt that"

"Just give him time till tomorrow morning"

"Can I sleep in your room tonight? I can't be alone" she said pleading to me

I nodded my head

"Everything will be alright in the end Leah" I said just before she fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you sarae32, MammaNita4, Taylor9901, .7334, MageVicky, Beuty6, catgrl, brankel for your reviews.

A/N: In my story the imprint feels as much pull to the wolf as much as he does to the imprint and it is physically painful to stay away from one another for long. Why is it so will be explained in the coming chapters.

Chapter 4-

Oh! How mistaken had I been when I had told Leah that give Sam, time till the morning everything will be back to normal.

It had been ten days since Sam disappeared in the middle of the night and no one had seen him since. Leah was a mess and was blaming herself for Sam's disappearance. She had stopped leaving the house unless it was to go to Sam's place to check if he had returned and was frantically calling him every hour only to hear the message that his mobile was switched off. After the second day of his disappearance she had called Allison Uley who had told her that she had no idea where her son was and he was grown up to look after himself so she should not be bothered when she was at work. Leah had thrown her phone at the wall in anger after giving Allison Uley a piece of her mind.

No one at the garage, Jim included had heard from Sam and Sam had always been a loner with more acquaintances than friends so no one knew where he was. Sue and Charlie were worried that Leah was not sleeping or eating properly and even Hazel understood that everyone was stressed in the house at the moment.

I had taken the first three days off from work to stay home with Leah but after that I had to get back to work as I could not take any more days off. The mood at the garage was no better than it was at back home and I realized that even though these people were not close to Sam they did care about him.

After work I decided to stop by at Billy's, maybe meeting Jake would uplift my mood a little.

"Hey" I told Sarah as she opened the door

"Hey come in, how is Leah?"

I sighed "Not good"

La Push being a close knit community and an equally small place, there were no secrets here, everyone knew everything and if they didn't the rumor mill would inform them by the evening of the same day.

She nodded her head "He will come back. Maybe he just needs time. He loves Leah you know"

"I know but it is unexpected. Leah says that they have fought before but he has never reacted like this and even I can vouch for this, in the short period that I have known Sam, this is unlike him"

She nodded her head "I know, I have known the boy since he was an infant, he would never run away from his problems" "I was just starting dinner, do you want to help me out? Jake has taken Billy to the clinic for his appointment, they will be back soon"

I smiled and nodded my head. Rarely anyone in this world knew me better than Sarah Black and she knew that cooking always made me feel lighter and happier and it would uplift my mood in minutes.

I helped her in making Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken and garlic bread while talking to her about anything and everything. It was like the old days when eight year old I would help her out in the kitchen in my own small way.

"Bells" said Jake entering the house with Billy and coming and hugging me

"Hey Jake, Have you grown taller again?"

"Yeah I am 5.11 now" he said with pride in his voice

I smiled at the fifteen year olds joyous nature

"Bella" said Billy "How are you doing?"

"I am okay"

"Charlie told me how upset Leah has been"

I nodded my head

"Billy, any news on Sam?" asked Sarah while we were seated for dinner "You are the chief maybe you heard something?"

He shook his head "Nothing that no one else knows"

"He was behaving weird though before he left" I said

"Weird how?" asked Billy with a perplexed look on his face

I told them about my trip to Port Townsend with Sam and stopping at Forks hospital on the way, Sam shaking when Charlie was talking to Dr. Cullen, his anger and sudden strength the next day and him burning up which I found out when I touched his arm.

Billy was quiet for a few minutes deep in thought, even Sarah looked a little surprised. Jake and I were just confused by their reaction.

"Did you say he was burning up and almost broke a door handle?" asked Billy

I nodded my head "And he was unusually rude"

"Billy, can it be…" whispered Sarah

"Jake, Bella why don't you go to Jake's garage post dinner. I need to talk to Old Quil" said Billy interrupting Sarah

No one spoke for the rest of the dinner. Both Billy and Sarah looked tensed and nervous. After dinner Jake and I reluctantly left the room.

"Well that was unusual" I said as we sat on the well worn couch in the garage

"Yeah I know" "Do you have any idea why they both were behaving like this?"

I shook my head. Whatever it was, it was a serious matter.

"Hello everybody" said Quil confidently entering the garage with Embry in the tow "Bells, your wishes came true here I am" he said winking at me

I laughed while Jake scowled and Embry rolled his eyes

"Why are you here again?" asked Jake

"Grandpa kicked me out when Billy called. Even though I was in my room, he said it was a private matter and I should not be anywhere near where I could hear him"

"That's strange" said Jake and I agreed

The three stooges as I called them had been best friends since the fifth grade and were pretty much inseparable since then and with me being a near almost constant presence in Jake's life I had become their friends early on. Embry was the shy sensible boy and Quil the quintessential joker and terrible flirt who just did not give up.

The four of us played Mario Kart for a while before I left to go home. On the way back home I stopped by First Beach looking at how serene it looked under the moonlight. I parked my truck and got out. The tranquility of the beach always seemed to calm me and whenever I was troubled this was the place I would be. There were a few people on the beach sitting in their group near a bonfire. I walked on the damp sand for a while, feeling the cold air on my skin and hair before sitting on a piece of driftwood gazing at the mesmerizing blue water.

"Bella" shouted a voice entering my room

I groaned and opened one eye. Standing in front of me with a humungous smile on her face was none other than my sister. It had been three days since my awkward dinner at the Black's.

"Wha?" I asked trying to form a coherent sentence in my sleep

"He is back" she shouted nearly jumping

"Who is back?"

"Sam" she replied giving me 'are you serious look'

"Oh wow, great. Now let me sleep" I said closing my eye again

"Bella, wake up" she shouted in my ear

"Leah I am going to kill you" I screamed throwing a pillow at her "Can we please have this conversation when I am awake after I have had two cups of coffee?"

"Nope" she said in a teasing manner "If you don't wake up right this moment I am going to tickle you till you wake up like I used to when we were kids and I know you are still very ticklish"

Okay why is her voice sounding so evil?

"Uh" I groaned "Fine I am up, shoot"

She was laughing so hard looking at my disheveled appearance with hair sticking out in all directions.

"Lee I am so happy to see you smiling again" "So he is back?"

"Yeah but he is different" she said sitting opposite me on my bed

"Different how, like multiple piercings and huge ass tattoos different?"

"No like I am even more serious and authoritative than before different"

"Hmm" I said

"And he looks also different" she continued "He is almost 6.5 now and has these perfectly ripped abs and a superfine body with it and he also chopped his hair off"

I just stared at her for a few minutes "And that is a bad thing, how?"

"Bells, he was gone for thirteen days, thirteen fucking days. You don't get such a drool worthy body in thirteen days"

"You think he is on steroids?"

"I don't know. It is so unlike Sam" "You know when I asked him where he was, he refused to give me a straight answer and he kept gaping at me as if he was waiting for something to happen and when it didn't he started shaking like he was having a seizure"

"Hmm, I don't know what to tell you Leah"

"And he was so hot"

"Yeah I got that" I told her smirking

"No No like constantly running a fever hot"

"Is he unwell?"

"I don't know but he kept repeating that he is fine"

"Look if he says he is fine, trust him. The main point is that he is back"

"I know but he is not ready to tell me where he was"

"Maybe he just doesn't know how to tell you, give him some time"

"Yeah maybe" she said with a thoughtful look on her face "He is taking me out for dinner tonight though"

"Wow tell me how it goes" "Now can I sleep?" I told her pouting

"Look at the time" she said laughing "You will be late for work if you don't get up now"

"Damn you Leah Clearwater" I told her hurrying out of my bed while she continued to laugh

After a quick shower and even quicker breakfast I was in my truck on the way to Dowling's Auto shop for another monotonous day.

"Hey Chris" I told him as I approached my desk

"Hey Bella, Sam's back" he said cheerfully

"Yeah I heard. My sister's on cloud nine"

"They are dating right?"

"Yup"

He went inside after that while I stayed at my desk organizing my work for the day.

At lunch time I went inside for lunch but to my surprise Sam wasn't here.

"Where's Sam?" I asked Aaron taking a bite of my Pbj sandwich

"He had to run some errands and the council has told Jim to reduce his working hours and let him go whenever he says so"

"Strange and Jim agreed?" I asked

"Yeah you know they have the most power here. No one goes against them"

I nodded my head. The tribal council was a 9 member group and was considered to be extremely powerful in La Push. No one went against their rules. I found Billy and Old Quil to be the only genuine ones out of them. The others were just power crazy.

After lunch I went back to my work. I was replying to an e-mail when I saw Sam enter with his head looking down. He did look different and not at all like the nineteen year old he was. He had aged overnight and if I had to guess I would say he looked like a twenty five year old.

Suddenly he looked up and our eyes met. I felt like I was falling from the tallest high rise in the world, every happy memory that I have had till date was flashing in front of my eyes. I felt like every bad moment of my life did not matter. I was where I was supposed to be in life, with who I was supposed to be and my life had reached its purpose.

Wait what? I snapped out of it blinking a few times to regain clarity.

What was that? Sam was still staring at me with a shocked look on his face and his mouth open.

Suddenly he snapped out of it muttered a 'Fuck' and ran off.

I could not understand what was happening.

"Hey what was that?" asked Ben coming to my desk

"I have no freaking idea" I told him honestly going back to my work and he went back inside.

However hard I tried I just couldn't concentrate on my work, my mind was on Sam and his reaction and my reaction to seeing him. Why on earth had I reacted like that? Why was I feeling all gooey when I thought about him? I just wanted to wrap my arms around him when I saw him next and kiss every inch of his face.

'He is Leah's boyfriend, Bella' I kept reminding myself every few seconds 'Her future husband' 'He is as good as a brother to me'

Finally I gave up on my traitorous mind and decided to go home and sleep it off. Maybe this is all because I did not get enough sleep this morning. Yeah I just need some sleep and I will be back to normal like before.

I told Chris that I was not feeling well and left to go home. Hazel and Seth were the only ones home when I entered. I quickly went to my room after talking to them for a few minutes to sleep whatever this was off.

When my eyes opened next it was dark outside and I felt refreshed. I got out of bed and went downstairs to eat something.

Leah was sitting in one corner of the couch with her head looking towards the floor wearing a dress and all dressed up. I could see the tears on her face.

"Leah" I ran to her "What happened?"

"He stood up on me" she whispered "He was supposed to pick me up two hours back and he never turned up and he is not picking up his phone"

"I am so sorry Leah" I consoled her "He is an ass for doing that to you"

I hated myself the very minute after I said this because even though I was sad for my sister I was relieved that he did not show up for their date.

How could I feel like this and why was I feeling all of this suddenly? I did not think like this about Sam this morning. How can one glance change everything?

"Come on, why don't we watch a movie eating chocolate ice-cream and I will even do your nails for you?" I said trying to cheer her up. I decided that my sister was more important than these ridiculous thoughts.

She shook her head

"Please Lee, for me"

"Okay" she whispered

The next few hours were spent watching 'The princess bride' while eating Pizza and ice-cream and doing one another's nails.

Mid way through the movie Charlie and Sue entered and went to their room giving us both a kiss on the forehead. Haze came down from her room and settled in my lap to see the movie and even Seth joined us but his attention was more on the pizza than the movie.

Yeah Sam Uley does not matter and whatever stupid phase I am going through will pass out in a few days.

And I was wrong again. My stupid hormonal phase did not end as I had expected it to. On the contrary it had increased and now he was all I thought about awake or sleeping. Great!

It had been five days since that day and my chest pain was driving me crazy. I don't know how but I had developed a pain in my chest the next day which no matter what I did, did not subside.

I knew I was too young to have a heart attack then, what was this pain for and intense craving to see Sam.

The said person had neither called nor showed his face in these past days and Leah was again driving herself crazy with worry.

Today was Sunday and despite of my coordination issues I decided to go hiking. It was almost as if my feet were pulling me in a particular direction without my will. I left before everyone else woke up because Charlie would not let me go alone otherwise. A lot of people had died in these past weeks due to animal attacks and Charlie was constantly at work due to this.

It must have been a few hours after I first left the house when my feet brought me to a clearing. It was a beautiful sight and I wanted to keep looking at it but the most astonishing thing was the huge black wolf lying on the ground in the middle of the clearing.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you Taylor9901, YankeeGirlNJ, sarae32, MammaNita4, .7334, Beuty6, MageVicky, hstevens08161, Coolestbee for your reviews.

Chapter 5-

I never knew that an animal could look so magnificent. I had never been much of an animal lover but there was something about this wolf that demanded your complete attention. If I would have to guess I would say that he was the Alpha of his pack. He was huge, almost as tall as a horse and his soft fur was pitch black in color. Power was radiating through him even if was just lying on the ground submissively.

Living so near to the woods Charlie had given us a few tips on what to do if you ever came across an animal and the most important one when faced against a wolf was do not run. They see you as prey if you run. The sane part of my mind coaxed me to move in the opposite direction before he realized of my presence but I knew that it was futile and he would already have scented me from miles away. Then why was he not attacking? His body was thin and weak as if he had not fed in days and he looked devoid of any energy as if getting up from his lying down position would be an unachievable feat.

Suddenly he looked up directly into my eyes and for a second I was captivated by his shining yellow orbs but what pulled me towards him was the sadness in them. His eyes were lifeless and depicted the pain he was in. Unknowingly my feet started moving in his direction as if they were an entity of their own and could not be stopped. My heart clutched in pain noticing that he, this animal was in pain. It did not go unnoticed by me that with every step I took the blinding pain in my chest that had haunted me since the past few days was reducing and reducing.

I should have been frightened to be in the presence of a wild animal but surprisingly I was not. I felt calm and peaceful instead as if a part of me that had been missing since days was with me again.

"Hello" I whispered to the wolf lying in front of me staring at me with curiosity, pain and longing in his eyes. I knew that he could definitely not talk and most probably did not understand what I said but the thought of leaving him here where he could be attacked by another animal/Poacher or left alone to die of starvation was heartbreaking.

I stood a little distance away from him as I did not want to encroach in his space and make him feel like I was a threat even though I knew that the idea of me being a threat to him was beyond ridiculous.

"Where is your pack?" I asked him knowing that wolves were pack animals and rarely ever travelled without their pack.

He just kept staring at me with what looked a lot like longing. He did not look very old in age though he was definitely no pup. Maybe his pack had been killed or he had lost his way.

He whined when I took a few steps back and I could not control myself from going and sitting next to him on the ground still keeping a little distance between us. But I guess the wolf had other plans as the minute I sat on the ground he plopped his massive hand in my lap and closed his eyes as if he was relishing in the peace I provided. At that very moment I did not care about my safety a bit and even though it was reckless I started running my hands through his soft fur and smiled to myself when I heard him purring.

"When was the last time you ate?" I asked him, and he looked up to me in my eyes and I was shocked to see the humanity in them. They were almost human up close.

He ignored my words and started licking my hands.

"Okay we need to get you fed" I said trying to get up but he laid his head back in my lap stopping me from leaving him.

"I am getting you some food boy and I am assuming you are a boy. Aren't you hungry?"

He nodded his huge head as if understood what I just said.

Okay I didn't think wolves could understand our language but priorities, the wolf needs food right now. I will ponder on this later.

"So let me go and get you something"

He whined again but let me move. I got up and walked to where I had dropped my bag pack in haste when I had entered the clearing and seen the wolf. I opened it to find a Hershey's chocolate. I had not carried any eatables with me as I did not feel I would need them. Okay a chocolate would have to suffice.

I quietly walked back to the wolf and dropped the chocolate in front of him. I may be surprisingly comfortable in his presence but I was not putting my hand in his mouth to feed him. He was still a hungry animal and let's not tempt fate.

He ate the chocolate in one bite showing me his sharp teeth and then looked at me again in something that resembled happiness.

"I am assuming you are still hungry but I have nothing more on me"

His expression became sad again and it pained my heart.

"Look I can run home and get you some meat to eat"

He shook his head and put his head again in my lap.

Suddenly I got a whiff of something rotten that smelled a lot like a dead animal. The wolf growled loudly scaring me a bit but then looked at me with that same longing in his eyes probably scenting my fear.

"It is okay. I am not scared" I reassured the both of us.

"I need to go check out the smell. If it is a dead animal it is probably your lucky day"

He looked as if he did not want me to go but then stood up on his paws.

"Can you scent it?" I asked him

He nodded his head

"Can you take me to it?"

He did not react for a few minutes before reluctantly nodding his head.

"Let's go then"

He took off in a particular direction while I followed him. After observing the wolf for a while and the fact that he could understand human language had made me realize that this was no normal wild wolf. I don't know what he was and how did he understand what I was speaking but I could not shake the feeling that I was completely secure in its presence. I knew he would never hurt me. However strange that sounds stranger things have happened before.

He stopped a few miles away from the clearing in the middle of the woods. A carcass of a deer was lying on the wet grass. What was shocking was that the deer had been badly drained of blood. Whoever had done this had done a very messy job. The wolf stopped at a little distance from me letting me go ahead. I heard a sound coming from a distance and turned to look from where it was coming. Two fawns were hiding in the bushes looking at the carcass with sadness in their eyes. I did not need to think about this to know that they were probably looking at the body of their mother.

"Can you hunt for yourself?" I asked the wolf who had a little more energy after eating the chocolate "The fawns should not see their mother being eaten even if she has already been drained"

He nodded his head sympathetically looking at the fawns who were trying to hide in the bushes.

With one last look at the fawns I walked back towards the clearing with the wolf following me.

Sam POV:

Torn

That was the only thing going on in my mind. Eighteen days back I was a normal nineteen year old with a stable job, a house that I owned and a girlfriend who I was madly in love with and was going to marry next summer.

But fate had other plans for me and as of right now I was a spirit warrior/ Shape shifter, a human sharing a body with an animal and somewhere someone was laughing at my plight. This had to be a cosmic joke right for me to imprint on my girlfriend's sister. One messed up magic was going to ruin innumerable lives.

I had been stuck in wolf form for twelve long days living in the woods not knowing what I was or whether I would be ever able to change back. I had given up the hope of ever being human again when Billy Black and Old Quil Ateara had come shouting my name in the woods. I had run to them with the hope that maybe they had a solution for my predicament and then they had explained to me what I was. The Alpha they had said but an Alpha without a pack. I was a lone wolf who did not even want to be in this situation in the first place. After telling me what all was supposed to be told they had told me the last and probably most important detail of this boon/bane. Imprinting was the spirit's way of gifting you your soul mate, the other half who completes you. All the while they were telling me this, my thoughts were revolving around Leah. How could they not? I had already met my soul mate and I was sure that I would imprint on her given the chance.

The next day as soon as I could I rushed to the Swan house to meet Leah. I knew she would be upset but I would imprint on her and then I could tell her the truth as our imprints were allowed on the truth.

She opened the door and I looked up at her with a smile on my face but nothing happened when her eyes met mine. The shock on her face replicated the shock on my face though it was both for different reasons. I was confused. Maybe I was doing something wrong or maybe the elders had no idea what they were talking about and I was never going to imprint. After all they had never been in my situation and were just referring to a paper written by a few men more than five decades ago.

Leah had wanted answers which I could not provide her with and had avoided every question she asked regarding my disappearance. I could see the hurt in her eyes and mentally cursed the spirits on why couldn't she be my imprint. I would have to talk to Billy about this but before that I had decided to take Leah out on a date. This was my way of apologizing to her for the pain I caused her.

She had gladly agreed and had kissed me with a huge smile on her face which earlier used to make my heart melt. I had gone to the garage for a short while and that is when my world had tilted on its axis.

As I walked towards the entrance of the garage I had felt eyes on me and had looked up to meet the beautiful chocolate brown eyes of one Bella Swan and that is when my life was no longer mine but hers. Whatever she wanted, whatever she needed she would get. I would make sure that she was always happy, protected and loved.

When I had realized what had happened I had quickly run out of there morphing into my wolf form tearing my clothes in the process. That had been five days back and since then I had been in these woods lying down in my wolf form. The wolf in me wanted to go back to his mate and stay with her. He was happy he had found his mate but the man was broken on the inside. He did not want to go back to the real world to break the heart of his first love only to profess his undying love for her sister. I had never been a coward in my life but for once I wished I was. Hiding was better than facing this reality. Unlike what Billy had told me, Imprinting was not sudden love for the man atleast. Yes the wolf adored her and loved her but I respected her and liked her. Maybe with time, if given the chance, I would fall head over heels in love with her but even if she never gave me the chance, my life was tied to her and there would never be another one for me. I wanted to fight the imprint, for myself, for Leah and somewhere for Bella too but with every passing minute the pain in my chest and the need to be with Bella was making my resolve weak. The desire to live had waned with every passing hour and I had stopped eating or moving around after the first twenty four hours giving up on my life, lying down in that clearing. Today had been the fifth day and possibly the last day of my existence when I had smelt the most aromatic scent in the world, the scent of my mate. She had come to me, the wolf was rejoicing but the man knew better than to expect anything. Expectations only caused unwanted pain and in my short life I had learnt not to keep expectations from anyone.

She had sat next to me fearlessly and ran her soft hands through my fur making me purr in delight. She had given me food to eat and cared about me. I knew that I should not have nodded my head blowing away my secret but I could not help it, I needed to converse with her and I did not think changing into my human form again this instant would do any good for me.

The wolf had been enjoying his mate's company when we had scented the stench of a leech putting me on guard. Bella was with me and I would be damned if I put her in the way of harm. But this stench was not the usual leech smell. This was slightly different and my guess was that these were the vegetarian Leeches who we had a treaty with. They were less sweet than normal leeches or atleast what Billy had told me as I had never been exposed to a leech as of yet. I had been appalled to know of this treaty but apparently our ancestors had felt that they could be trusted.

Bella had wanted to find out the source of this rotten smell and after sniffing the air I knew that the leeches had left the area after feeding. I had walked with her to the site only to be shocked by my discovery. A female deer was lying on the grass with her body being completely drained of blood. Two fawns were looking at her with pain in their eyes. This was cruel and sickening. How could the leeches kill a mother in front of her children and they had to realize that the fawns were here, if a human like Bella noticed them how did they not realize with their inhuman senses.

Bella had been heartbroken and had asked me if I could feed on another animal and I had agreed. I maybe a monster but even I was not this cruel.

She had quickly left the clearing after that telling me that she needed to go home or her family would worry and I had followed her from a distance making sure that she reached home safely.

I was at crossroads, should I listen to my heart and accept the imprinting, breaking Leah's heart in the process or should I listen to my mind and ignore the imprinting? Yes I would be in pain but I would bear it if it would guarantee that there would be no rift between Leah and Bella, the woman I loved and the woman I was slowly falling for.

But first things first, my imprint had asked me to eat and that was what I was going to do and then I was going to go meet Billy.

Bella POV:

The next few days passed by quickly. According to Billy, who had told Leah this, Sam was in Seattle living with his mother due to some personal problems that he could not share. He would come back soon but he did not want to have any contact with anyone till then. Leah was going through a whirlwind of emotions anger, sadness and despair and with every passing day I found myself missing Sam more and more. He was in my thoughts when I was awake and he was also in my dreams when I slept. The only time I did not miss his presence was when I was with my wolf.

After the first day that I had seen that wolf in the clearing, my feet had taken me back to that same place the next day in the hope that I would see him again but to my disappointment he had not been there. What was I even thinking? Why would an animal come back to meet me? I was about to leave when he had entered the clearing bowing down slightly to look less threatening.

For the next two hours I had sat next to him, feeding him the meat that I had carried with me and told him stories about my life and childhood. He was a patient listener and I found myself telling him things that no one knew not even Leah. Somehow I knew in my heart that I could trust him.

And so a routine had been formed, every day after work I would go to the clearing where he would be waiting for me and after I gave him his food, he would sit and listen to me blabber about anything and everything.

I had told Kuro, the name that I had given the wolf and meant black in Japanese about Sam and my conflicting feelings for him on the third day and how I was afraid to even be in the same room as Leah with the fear that she would find out what I felt for her boyfriend. I did not want to hurt her. He had just licked my face in response.

No one knew where I went every day after work and I had lied to them telling them that I was working over time. Surely they would not understand my friendship with a wild wolf without institutionalizing me.

Somehow Kuro despite of his threatening appearance and horse like size, had become my only confidante, who I could tell everything without the fear of being judged.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you MammaNita4, YankeeGirlNJ, catgrl, Beuty6, .7334, Coolestbee, Taylor9901, brankel1, MageVicky and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

Chapter 6-

"Bella, Come in" said Billy as I entered the red quaint house

Billy had called me up today morning and asked me to come over after work. He said he wanted to talk to me about something important, which required face to face interaction.

"Hey Billy, Sarah" I said hugging her

"Come sit Bella" said Billy motioning towards the couch opposite him

"Where's Jake?" I asked them noticing that he was not at home

"He has gone out with Quil and Embry. We could not have him around while having this discussion" said Billy

"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked them noticing their serious expressions

"Before we start Bella, there is someone else who needs to be here for this conversation" said Billy

"Who" I asked curiously

Before they could answer the door stormed open and Sam Uley walked in with his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry chief, I am late"

"What is he doing here?" I asked incredulously "Leah is driving herself crazy with worry about your whereabouts and you turn up here. When did you return from Seattle and why haven't you called her?"

"I was never in Seattle, Bella"

"Then where were you?"

I could not stop my fast heartbeat when I was this close to him. It was uncomfortably comfortable and somehow he reminded me of Kuro and how peaceful I felt in his presence.

"Bella, before he answers you that. There are some things you need to know" said Sarah

"Like what?"

Billy took a deep breath "Bella how much do you remember of our legends?"

I looked at him perplexed "The bed time stories you used to tell Rach, Becca, me and Jake?"

He nodded his head

I thought about it for a few minutes "Umm not much just that Quileute's have descended from wolves and that some of your ancestors could turn into wolves on will."

Billy took a deep breath "The Quileute's have been a small people from the beginning and we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting — that came later. First, we were spirit warriors."

I listened to Billy in awe as he narrated the stories of how the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled fishermen. The story of Kaheleha who was the first spirit chief in history and how, he used magic to defend their land by transforming into a spirit warrior to protect his land against intruders.

The story of Taha Aki, the last great spirit chief and Utlapa who wanted to use their magic to expand their lands and build an empire and how Taha Aki entered a wolf's body after losing his own body making them one. After ending the rule of Utlapa, Taha Aki was known as Great wolf or spirit man.

"He led the tribe for many, many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people dwelt in peace. Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of manhood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were spirit wolves and reflected the man they were inside. Some of the sons became warriors with Taha Aki, and they no longer aged. Others, who did not like the transformation, refused to join the pack of wolf-men. These began to age again, and the tribe discovered that the wolf-men could grow old like anyone else if they gave up their spirit wolves. Taha Aki had lived the span of three old men's lives. He had married a third wife after the deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this was something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did. That is how the magic came to us, but it is not the end of the story. . . ."

"Wait, wait" I stopped Billy "This is a beautiful story but what does this have to do with Sam or the reason why he told Leah that he was in Seattle, when he was not"

"Samuel, do you want to be the one to tell her?" asked Billy

Sam nodded his head "The legends are not just scary stories Bella. They are true. I am a shape shifter"

I looked around me in shock. I was expecting to see mirth on their faces or them to laugh out loud and say that it was a joke but they were all looking at me with serious expressions on their face. In reality I had never seen Billy or Sarah this serious.

"This is not a joke" I whispered already knowing the answer.

"No Bella" said Sam shaking his head

"But how?" I mumbled

"Cold ones, proximity to them activates the gene"

I looked at him with my mouth open "You mean Vampires?"

He nodded his head

"They are real?"

"Yes Bella" said Billy "A coven of seven vampires lives in Forks. We have a treaty with them that they will not feed from humans, harm a human or change one and in return we will not kill them and let them live peacefully. You know them as the Cullens."

"How do you kill them?"

"Our teeth can pierce through their marble like skin and later we burn them" said Sam

I nodded my head. This was like an overload of information. The Cullen's were vampires and lived in Forks. I always knew that there was something creepy about that Dr. Cullen. Sam was their mortal enemy and a shape shifter/ Spirit warrior. We were surrounded by supernatural and had no clue about it.

"So this was what was happening when you disappeared for thirteen days?"

Sam nodded his head "After seeing Dr. Cullen in the hospital my gene got activated and the change started. Once the change starts it cannot be stopped mid way. The first time we phase is very painful for us and it is solely based on emotions so my irritability and anger levels increased. As shape shifters we are very strong and our temperature is higher than normal. After having a fight with Leah, I was too angry to go back home and instead went for a midnight jog. I had taken a few steps when I felt my body convulsing and I fell on the ground. Next thing I know I have paws and fur. Because I was the first one in this generation I had no idea of what I was and what had happened to me. Billy and Old Quil found me twelve days later in the woods and told me everything I needed to know"

"So are there others like you now?"

He shook his head "No I am the only one as of now" "We don't know if others will phase"

"Leah doesn't know about this?"

"No only selected people can know" "We cannot risk anyone spilling this secret"

"Wait" "Then how am I allowed to know?"

Sam sighed loudly and looked at Billy to answer.

"Bella, do you remember the legend of Taha Aki and the third wife?" asked Billy

I nodded my head "Yeah somewhat"

"That legend is also true. The third wife was Taha Aki's imprint, his soul mate."

"Okay" I replied still not quite understanding

"Bella, only council and imprints can know" said Sarah in a soft voice

I am not council and…

The answer hit me like a ton of Bricks.

No, this cannot be true. This cannot be happening. Sam is the only one to phase as of yet. Imprint, soul mate. No no, Leah is his girlfriend. They love one another. She is his soul mate.

"Bella calm down" said Sarah sitting next to me and holding my hand "Here, have some water"

I thanked her and drank the glass of water

"What does this mean?" I whispered to Billy

"When the wolf looks into the eyes of his imprint for the first time after the phase, he imprints on her and his world is tied to hers. He will be everything she needs or wants, a brother, friend, lover. She is the most important person in his life"

"Wait" "You said a wolf can be a brother right. This is perfect. He can be with Leah and be like a brother to me"

Sam shook his head and looked at the floor "That would have worked if you were a child or married. The wolf does not see you like a sister. He sees you as his mate"

"But this is ridiculous" I shouted taking my head in my hands

"Bella, you are young yet and do desire someone to love you. Maybe not Sam in particular but Sam's wolf knows that you need a lover, not a friend or brother and that is why he is stepping in, in that role" said Billy

"I don't want him" I shouted

"You think I wanted you? I didn't want any of this. I just want my old life back" Sam shouted back

"Why can't you just go back to Leah? It will solve a lot of problems for all of us"

"I don't see her like that anymore. I just can't. I care about her but my feelings for her are nothing compared to my feelings for you"

"What do you expect me to do now?" I groaned

He was quiet and looked at the floor.

"I need time to think about all of this" I said resigned

Billy nodded his head "Just don't take too much time Bella. Sam is the Alpha and because of that his imprint is stronger than a normal shape shifter's imprint. The need to be together is uncontrollable and staying away from his imprint for more than a few days will kill him. He is in pain when you are not near and even you feel some of that pain from being separated to him. Your chest must be paining when you are not around him"

I nodded my head. So this was what that chest pain was. It had started after I had seen Sam that day in the garage after his phase. He must have imprinted on me that day.

"Also you can find one another. There is an invisible pull and subconsciously your mind tries to get you near to him. Imprinting is like a magic."

I nodded my head but then a thought struck me, my feet randomly taking me to the clearing, the chest pain disappearing suddenly, the need to go back to the clearing every day.

'Kuro'

"What color is your wolf Sam?"

"Black" he whispered knowing where I was going with this

"You deceived me" "You misled me into believing that you were a normal friendly wolf. I trusted you. I told you things about me that no one knows"

"I am sorry. I was scared. The first time you came to the clearing it was a coincidence. I thought if I will tell you the truth, you will stop coming to the clearing"

"So you lied and cheated me?"

"That was not my intention" he said shaking his head "I just wanted to know you better. Believe it or not, you are my world and I care about you more than anyone else"

"Like this by tricking me? You have a great way of showing your affection for someone Samuel Uley" I spat out

"What do you expect me to do?" he said repeating my line

"How about telling me the truth and getting to know me better the normal way, like normal people do?"

"Would you have spoken to me again after I came to you and told you everything the first day? No you would not. You are such a hypocrite Bella Swan"

"Stay away from me Samuel Uley" I muttered out before leaving the house. I could not listen to anything more. I did not even stop when Sarah called after me. I needed time to think about all of this.

I sat in my truck drove towards my house. Atleast now I had a reason for my conflicting feelings towards Sam. Imprinting the gift of the gods to the spirit warrior, more like curse. A curse that ruined three lives.

I could see a black wolf following my truck in the rear view mirror. Luckily there were no cars around or he would have exposed himself right here in the middle of the road.

I stopped my truck and got out of it.

"What the hell do you want?" "Which part of stay away from me did you not understand?"

He ran behind a tree and came back wearing only a pair of cutoffs.

"You" he said smiling

"Excuse me?" I asked confused

"You asked me what I wanted, I replied. I want you"

"What?"

"I am done fighting Bella, trust me I tried fighting the imprint. It was impossible and nearly killed me. I have accepted the imprint. The spirits know more than me and after bonding with you in wolf form, I have understood his. We are meant to be. You are my other half and I am not letting you go. I know I did you wrong and I am going to make it right by doing everything in the right order and making you fall for me just like I have fallen for you"

"Don't you feel bad for Leah?" I whispered

He sighed "You have no idea how much guilt I feel for doing this to her but I know that I cannot be loyal to her any longer. I wish I had not phased and imprinted on you, breaking her heart in the process but I cannot change the facts. I do love her but not in the same way as she does"

I nodded my head "I am sorry I cannot accept the imprint"

"I know" he said "But I have not given up Bella Swan. I will wait for you even if it means waiting for you all my life outside your doorstep. I want you in my life and I will do everything I can to get you in my life"

I shook my head as a few tears fell from my eyes "She is my sister Sam. I need to fight this for her sake. You already know that I have feelings for you"

He pulled me in his arms and wiped the tears from my eyes with his fingers "I know. Take your time Bella, even if you never want me as anything more I will still be there for you"

"I am sorry" I whispered "I am a terrible imprintee"

"Shh, you are worth it"

"Will you be able to ever tell her the truth?"

He shook his head "No the council will not permit"

"She will hate you"

"I know" I barely heard him say

"I should go home. They will be waiting for me"

He nodded his head "Bella, I am meeting Leah tonight. I am breaking up with her. It is not fair to string her along"

I sadly nodded my head knowing that this is inevitable before walking back towards the truck.

Dinner was a quiet affair, Leah was lost in her thoughts while I was in mine. Sue and Charlie were just looking at us both with worry in their eyes and the only people talking were Seth and Hazel.

"Is everything okay Bells?" asked Charlie

"Yeah dad, just thinking about work"

He nodded his head

"Bella, did Sam come to the garage today? He messaged me that he has come back from Seattle but was behaving very weirdly. Did you talk to him today morning?"

I shook my head

"But why did he suddenly go to Seattle?" asked Sue "It cannot be to meet his mother. Allison Uley does not care about anyone except herself"

"I don't know. I spoke to him after days today. Billy told me that he had some personal work in Seattle and when I asked what personal work, he said I cannot share the details" said Leah

"Sue, do you think this is something to do with the council?" asked Charlie

"Maybe, I wish I was still on the council though"

"Mom you were once on the tribal council?" asked Seth

This was a shock to me too. Sue had never told us that she was a part of the tribal council.

She nodded her head "Harry was an elder and through him even I was. I had to give away my rights to be an elder when I married Charlie. Because I was no longer Mrs. Clearwater they felt that I no longer deserved to be an elder and had no need to know of what happens in the council"

"But that is so wrong" protested Leah "You still live in La Push"

"I know honey but that is their rule. Only Billy and Old Quil objected" said Sue

"Sarah is not an elder?" I questioned

"No she is not. She refused to be when she was offered to join" said Sue

I nodded my head and returned to my room after finishing dinner.

I kept flicking the light switch on and off unable to sleep. There had to be a way out. Billy said that Sam's wolf cannot see me as a sister or friend because he knows that I need more than that. What if that role was taken in my life? Would Sam's feelings for me and my feelings for him diminish? Could he go back to Leah? He himself admitted that he still loves her. I had to give this a try. If nothing more it will answer a few questions of mine. He cannot fight the imprint because it is more powerful for him as he is the one who has imprinted but I can try, for Sam, for Leah and for myself.

The next morning I woke up early and went to the house of the person I needed to talk to. He opened the door after my second knock with sleep laden eyes.

Before he could say anything, I asked him my question

"Will you go out on a date with me?"


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you YankeeGirlNJ, Coolestbee, .7334, hstevens08161, MageVicky, catgrl, Taylor9901, MammaNita4, brankel1 and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

I have posted a new story named 'When the two worlds meet.' It is a Rebecca Black and Marcus Volturi story. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Thank you.

Chapter 7-

The next morning I woke up early and went to the house of the person I needed to talk to. He opened the door after my second knock with sleep laden eyes.

Before he could say anything, I asked him my question

"Will you go out on a date with me?"

He was quiet for a few minutes

"Come in Swan"

I followed him inside the house

"What will you have tea, coffee, juice, beer?"

"Coffee" I said and he nodded his head and walked into the kitchen and I sat on the couch

He offered me a cup of coffee and sat opposite me

"Now tell me what is troubling you?"

"How do you know something is troubling me?"

"Bella I may be an insensitive conceited temperamental seventeen years old for the world but I am not that clueless and shallow in reality. You and I have been good friends since years, heck you may be my only genuine friend and I do know a bit about you. You as well as I know that the feelings we have for one another are not romantic so now will you tell me why you suddenly want to go out on a date with me or do you still want me to continue with my speech"

"It is all messed up Paul" I told him taking my head in my hands

"Swan in all the years I have known you I have never seen as a cry baby after that first time we met. So you are kind of scaring me right now"

"I don't know what to do anymore"

"Okay how about this I have to run to Forks right now to run an errand for mom but we go for dinner tonight, just as friends and you tell me all about what is going on?"

I nodded my head hesitantly

"And I am assuming this has something to do with Leah because you have come to me instead of talking to her as you would have in any normal situation"

I nodded my head again

"You need a friend more than a date right now Swan" "I will pick you up at 6" he said hugging me once before leaving the house and running out

I sighed and walked out. I know La Push has a non-existent crime rate but still Paul left without locking the door. I locked the door with the spare key I found and kept it below the doormat so that Amy or Paul could find it when they came back. Amy was a teller for the bank in Forks.

I sat in my truck and drove back to my house. I still had no clarity on my situation with Sam but maybe talking to Paul would help. He was not directly linked to this situation and his opinion would be unbiased also I could not talk about this to anyone else. And about the dating part maybe I could go out on a date with someone from school. Leah would have no problem in setting me up. Paul was the first name that popped up in my head because I knew him very well and was already comfortable with him but as he said maybe I needed a friend more right now.

Sue was sitting on the couch staring at the floor when I entered rubbing her forehead as if she was having a headache.

"Mom what happened?"

"Leah was crying the entire night. She has just gone to sleep. Sam broke up with her"

"Oh" I whispered

"He gave her the usual it is not you it is me excuse and she is heartbroken now"

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I whispered looking at the floor. I could not bear to look into Sue's eyes right now. How on earth would I face Leah after this?

"Bella, look at me"

I looked up

"She was crying when she came home and I was awake. You have been so busy these days, you needed your sleep"

"But mom"

"Talk to her when she wakes up"

I nodded my head

"Can you make something for breakfast today? I don't feel like cooking"

I mumbled of course before going to the kitchen and preparing breakfast.

Breakfast was quiet and no was in the mood to talk. Leah had still not woken up.

I left for work after breakfast dropping Seth at the beach and Hazel at her friend's. Charlie left for the station and Sue had taken a leave today to stay with Leah.

Chris, Ben and Aaron were working inside the garage and so was the new employee Dirk. Before supposedly leaving for Seattle, Sam had to quit his job at Dowling's. I hadn't known this earlier but now I knew that with him being the only one to phase he had to spend hours patrolling the borders and rarely had the energy or time to manage a 9 to 5 job. Billy told me that that was the unfortunate part of being a shape shifter. You could not have a proper job.

The next few hours were spent in a mundane manner and I was glad when I could leave for the day and I quickly ran to my truck.

The house was dark when I entered and seeing no one in the living room I walked to Leah's room to see how she was doing. She was sitting on the rocking chair staring into nothingness. A cup of cocoa was lying in front of her.

"Hey how are you doing?"

"I don't know. It was so unexpected"

I nodded my head

"I thought he was my forever, despite of the fights we used to have it never went this far. We were going to get married next year"

"I am sorry Leah"

"He told me that we are no longer compatible and he has changed and even though he loves me he cannot be with me any longer"

I did not say anything. I knew she had to get this all out for her to get better.

"How am I supposed to live now?" she shouted

"Leah you are strong. You will get over this"

"He does not regret the break up. I could see it on his face. He is never coming back to me"

"Oh Leah"

"I hate that I loved him so much. He was my first love Bella, my first everything. We were perfect together why did it have to end?" she cried out

"I am so sorry Leah" I whispered. Unknowingly I had caused her this pain. How was I supposed to live with this guilt?

She shook her head "Maybe I am a bitch that does not deserve happiness"

"Shut up Leah. That is not true and you know it"

"I don't know what I am any longer Bella. I was Sam's girlfriend for so long and before that the girl who had a crush on him. I don't know who I am any longer"

"Leah you will get over this and come out stronger"

For the first time I saw Leah as a vulnerable teenager. Sue had told me that Leah was very close to her biological father Harry and after he died she just shut herself and became the strong girl that she was now, the girl who kept a mask over her face so people could not see her pain and weaknesses. She had become Sue's support when she was devastated after her husband died and Seth's second mother when he cried and all this just at the age of 7. All throughout her childhood and teenage years she was the strong girl who did not break down or take shit from anyone. The only people she let in, in her small little world were us four and Sam.

She shook her head

"Leah, have you eaten anything since morning?"

She shook her head "I don't feel like"

"Please eat something and here drink this" I said giving her the cup of cocoa

She took the cup from my hand and slowly started drinking.

Sue came inside the room at that moment "Bella, Paul is here to take you out for dinner"

"I will go and tell him to leave" I told her looking at Leah

Leah stopped me by taking my hand "Go, life doesn't stop. You need to live your own life"

"But Leah"

"Please I will be okay. I am going to most probably go back to sleep" she said assuring me

"Never forget I love you and so do mom, dad, Seth and Hazel"

"I love you all too" she whispered

I went to my room and after changing my clothes and washing my face I grabbed my purse and went to the living room where Paul was sitting.

After telling Sue that I would be back in a few hours the both of us left for Pacific Pizza in Forks in Paul's truck. He did not question my somber mood the entire way and we spent the entire distance in silence.

After ordering a vegetarian pizza for me and a house special for Paul we sat on the table in silence.

"So now talk" he said

I took a deep breath. I obviously could not tell him about shape shifters and Imprinting but I could give him a brief summary without mentioning those things.

"So I sort of feelings for a guy and he is kind of with someone else…"

"And you think that if you go out on a date with someone else your feelings for him will disappear" he interrupted me

"Yeah" I whispered

"Bella it does not work that way and this is about Sam right?"

I looked at him in shock

"What? How"

"I observe more than I let people know of" he said shrugging "Did he break up with Leah because of this?"

"How did you know about their breakup?"

"I saw them both last night. I accidently overheard their conversation"

I nodded my head "He says he has feelings for me but…"

"Bella really I am not the best person for advice, honestly I give shitty advice but even I know this is a bad idea. Don't you have some sister code about this? Look they have not parted on good terms. If you go ahead with this, Leah will never trust you again. It will cause a serious wedge between you both. You have to take the decision, do you want to ignore your feelings for Sam and behave as if everything is normal or do you want to follow your heart and ignore what anyone else says or feels. It is your decision but if you choose the second one then be prepared for what everyone else in school or in La Push says because there will be comments"

"It is difficult to stay away from him Paul. The need to be near him is so strong"

"Then I guess your decision is made"

"No Paul I can't do that"

"Fine if you think it will help go out on a few dates and see if your feelings for him change. Then take your decision" he said sighing

I nodded my head

"Thank God I don't do relationships" he said after a few minutes "This shit is complicated. Hook ups are easier and nicer"

I laughed a bit on that and we spent the rest of the dinner talking about random topics. School was starting again in two weeks and just like me and Leah, Paul was also a senior.

Leah was sleeping again when I reached home and after spending some time with Charlie and Sue I went upstairs to my room.

The next day I was at work when Sam came storming in. His face was red with anger and a vein was popping out. He pushed me towards the wall and came closer to me.

"Sam, what the hell are you doing?"

"Why were you on a date with Paul Lahote last night?" he said shaking

"Sam that was not a date" I said calmly

"You are mine. Only mine" he shouted rubbing his hands over my hands and face

"Sam, get away from me" I shouted as he began to kiss my neck and cheek

I boxed him in the face and regretted it the next second when I felt my bones breaking.

"Bella" he said running to me when he saw me hold my injured hand

I raised my other hand to stop him from coming any closer

"Listen Samuel Uley, I am not your possession or belonging. I said that it was not a date and it was not. Presently I don't give a rat's ass about your feelings for me or my feelings for you. I am saying this for the last and final time you stay the fuck away from me or I will send a restraining order up your ass. Get that in your thick head" I shouted at him

He took his head in his hands "I am sorry Bella. It is just that the animal got possessive"

"I don't care" I told him "Stay away from me Sam. It is better that way" I said softly

"Please Sam don't make this harder than it is supposed to be"

"I will die Bella. I need to see you. It is ten times stronger for me than it is for you"

I nodded my head knowing that even I would fall sick if I didn't see him "Look I will meet you once every three days in the clearing when you will be in your wolf form. Even if we don't talk the fact that we will physically be near will be enough but you will never phase to your human form in that period and never come near me in your human form otherwise. Is that understood?"

He reluctantly nodded his head

"Good" I said before leaving to go to the clinic.

A/N: Please trust me on this. Leah will have a happy ending.

Also I had a question for the readers, do you want the Cullen's to be involved in this story. If yes, in a negative role or positive.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you Kmpcarter, Taylor9901, catgrl, MageVicky, YankeeGirlNJ, CethlennBalor, sarae32, Sassy Mami, hstevens08161, .7334, MammaNita4, GomezAddams1,Coolestbee and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

MageVicky: I totally agree with you. How can your singer be your mate? Wouldn't that put you at a risk of killing your own mate? On the contrary your mate, if she is human should be the one person whose blood doesn't call to you at all so that you don't accidently harm her. Like you said a singer is like a perfect meal and her being a mate too makes absolutely no sense.

Chapter 8-

DECISIONS ARE THE HARDEST THING TO MAKE,

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A CHOICE BETWEEN WHERE YOU SHOULD BE

AND

WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.

\- Unknown

Making a decision is easy, implementing it is the tough part. I had made the decision to stay away from one Sam Uley almost six weeks back and every minute of these six weeks had been difficult to bear. There were many moments when I just wanted to run into him arms and stay there for all of eternity but I would take one look at the family photo in my room and change my mind.

I had been wrong when I had told him that being physically near to one another would be enough for our imprinting bond because it was not. Like a clockwork every third day I would go to the clearing after work and he would be waiting for me over there in his wolf form. We would sit a bit far away from one another and no words or ever acknowledgement would be passed between us. I would read a book or listen to music and would try to not see the longing and love in his eyes. The very eyes, that tormented me every night and spoke to me, telling me everything about him. As they say the eyes are windows to the soul. We would often just stare into one another's eyes contemplating how different our lives would be if such hurdles would not be in our way. But at the end of those two hours I would return to my house pretending that I had just pulled an overtime.

School had started again and so had the monotonous routine of classes and homework. Juggling School and work was difficult but I was glad for the distraction that it gave me. Leah was slightly better and was trying to move on but I often caught her staring at the walls with tears running down her cheeks. The news that Sam and Leah, the star couple of La Push had broken up had spread like wildfire and everyone had their own guesses on the reason why. Some said Sam had cheated, some said Leah was unfaithful and some said Sam was just wasting time till he could find someone better. Nonetheless Leah had to bear all the gossipmongers who came and pestered her to know exactly what had happened.

Seth had been furious when he found out how Sam had broken Leah's heart and he wanted to go and confront him for behaving like this with Leah but he had stopped when Leah had shouted at him that she did not need any more drama in her life. Irrespective Seth had made his hatred for Sam very clear and even Hazel had picked up on the tension and sour mood of everyone around her though she did not understand much of the reason why and after Leah had accidently shouted at her once she would be stuck to Sue whenever she was home not leaving her side at all.

When I had told Leah of my quest to find a boyfriend she had made it her personal mission to find me a guy. She had said that it would let her focus on something else and take her mind away from her own pain even if it was for a short while. I had had a boyfriend before when I had been thirteen. He had been my first and last boyfriend and we were more of handholding friends than girlfriend and boyfriend. We had 'dated' for two months before we decided that we had absolutely nothing in common and decided to part ways. Since then I had been on a couple of dates but it had never progressed beyond that.

The first boy who I had gone out on a date with was one of the popular jocks from school named Chris. He had recently broken up with his girlfriend and was now single and when he had asked me out a few days after school reopened I had said yes. We had gone to Port Angeles for a movie followed by dinner date and at the end of the night I had regretted every minute of it because he had spent every minute of it talking about himself and boasting about his own accomplishments not even giving me the chance to talk. Somehow I had convinced him that we were better off as friends and should never go out on a date again.

The second boy who I had gone out on a date with was from Forks and attended Forks High. His name was Mike and he and his friends often came to First beach to have bonfires. He reminded me of a golden retriever, loyal and obsessively following random people and ten minutes into our date at the local diner in Forks he told me that he was only doing this to make his ex girlfriend Jessica jealous who was watching us both from one of the tables behind. That had been my second failed date.

The third and last boy who I had gone out with was named Jared and was a year younger than me in La Push High. He was a genuinely nice guy and I could relate to him but somehow he reminded me of Sam too much and at the end of the night the both of us knew that there would be no second date. He had confirmed it when he told me that not to take offense but somehow he could only think of me like a sister as if something inside him was telling him this and even I had told him that I saw him like a brother and nothing more.

After my third failed date I had given up on trying to find someone else so that my feelings for Sam would change because they did not. I knew that I was hopelessly in love with Sam and even though I wanted to hate myself for feeling this towards him I just could not hate myself.

Today was Sunday and I was lying down on my bed reading a book when someone knocked at my door.

"Hey can I come in?" asked Sarah opening the door slightly

"Yeah of course" "Come sit"

"I was here to give Sue my recipe of Beef Stroganoff and decided to see how my god daughter is doing" she said sitting on the rocking chair in my room

"I am fine" I said nonchalantly

"Yeah don't lie to me" she said raising her eyebrow "I know you as much as I know any of my other kids and I know when you are saying the truth and when you are lying"

I sighed loudly "I tried Sarah. I tried damn hard to stay away from Sam, stopping myself from having feelings for him, dating other guys so that I would not be in love with him anymore but whatever I do at the end of the day he is the only person on my mind and he is the first person I think about when I wake up. Whether I am awake or dreaming I am always thinking about him. In a fit of anger I told him to stay away from me but I don't know if I can stay away from him."

"Bella do you remember when Billy had told you that the Alpha's imprint is the strongest?"

I nodded my head

"The bond is trying to get you together and every minute you spend trying to fight this gift it will become more and more difficult."

"I can't accept it Sarah" I said looking at the floor

"Bella, do you realize how much pain you are putting yourself and more importantly Sam in because of this. He rarely gets to see you, the one he loves and you think he is happy seeing you date other men"

"I have no choice. Leah loves him"

"You are just being stubborn about this. Don't you think if he was meant to be with Leah, he would have imprinted on her? He imprinted on you, you both are meant to be together. You are just prolonging the inevitable"

"But…"

"Bella answer me honestly, do you love him? Not because of the pull of the imprint but because of who he is"

I nodded my head

"Say it. I need to hear it from you"

"Yes" I whispered

"Good now stop punishing yourself for what is not even your fault and for heaven's sake stop punishing Sam. It is not even his fault and he is suffering from the past six weeks"

"What about Leah?"

She took a deep breath "We all feel bad for her but the spirits know what they are doing and we need to trust them. Maybe she is supposed to be somewhere else with someone else"

"He lied to me. He deceived me by listening to my innermost thoughts by being in wolf form and pretending to be just an animal"

"Bella all of us make mistakes. We are humans after all and making a mistake is a part and parcel of life and sometimes you just have to let it go and move on giving that person a second chance to improve himself, to not make the same mistake again. Imprinting is a beautiful experience. Just close your eyes and go with the flow"

I nodded my head "I need time to think"

"Sure take your time but don't take too much time. That boy is already a mess right now. Do you know for a wolf there is nothing more painful than his imprint rejecting him? Sam is stronger than he looks and is not letting anyone know of his pain"

Was she correct? In worrying about Leah and myself had I completely disregarded Sam and his feelings causing him pain? I looked at the floor.

"Now Bella, none of this, you had to make your own set of mistakes in life."

"I should get going now but always remember Billy and I are there for you if you ever need us and I have a feeling you will need us very very soon" she said before walking towards the door.

"Thank you" I whispered as the door closed behind her

After spending some more time thinking about all of this in my room I decided that I needed a change of place. I told the others that I was going to the beach for a while and left the house walking to the beach. Our house was near second beach and the beach was at a five minutes distance. I walked towards the cliffs near second beach and sat down looking at the waves in the water.

I didn't know what to do ahead. With every passing minute my decision faltered to stay away from Sam. Yes I loved Leah and my family but could I do this my entire life? Could I be unhappy so that someone else would be happy? What about Sam? This was unfair to him too.

These past six weeks had nearly killed me with the need to be near him. Could I do this any longer?

"What is on your mind?" asked a gruff voice, the person sitting next to me on the cliffs

I shook my head

"Come on you can tell me, people say I am a good listener"

"Dad, how do you know what to choose heart or mind"

He was quiet for a few minutes "Depends on the decision which has to be made. Sometimes you follow logic and sometimes you follow the small irrational part of your mind which tells you to follow your heart even if the odds are not in your favor" He said with a small smile "Do you know the story of how I met Renee?"

I shook my head and looked at him curiously

"During my first summer as a cop I met Renee Higginbotham. She was driving up the Pacific Highway with a group of her friends and they stopped to camp at First Beach in La Push. I was visiting Billy at that time and it was love at first sight. We spent a few days together before she left promising to come back again soon. In her absence I realized how much I loved her. When she came back three months later she got the news with her that she was pregnant and you were going to be born. Her mother was not happy and had wanted her to abort and when she refused she asked her to leave and never come back, though the timing was not that great I was ecstatic. I was going to be a father. I built a house for myself and Renee moved in with me. She was impetuous and romantic and our small little world was perfect.

Then a few months later you were born and I did not think life could get any better. When you were two years old Renee and I got married in a small courthouse marriage. A few months after our marriage Renee found out that she was pregnant again"

I looked at him in shock. I had a younger sibling.

"It was a difficult pregnancy and it ended in miscarriage. We were devastated and Renee fell into depression. At the same time my parent's health condition worsened and my father needed my help with my mother every day. I spent lesser and lesser time at home every day. Renee hated her life and she kept telling me to leave Forks but I just could not. She wanted to move to somewhere sunnier. Around your fourth birthday she finally gave up and asked for a divorce. She wanted to leave but she did not know what she wanted ahead from life and could not take you with her. She had not completed her schooling and could not go back to her mother's. I begged her to stay back but she refused only telling me to look after you. Six months after she left my parents expired a few days apart"

"She loved me?" I whispered

He nodded his head "Enough to give you a secured future" "She was flighty and hardly managed to look after herself. She did not want you to grow up and be burdened by the responsibility of looking after her as well. She felt you would have a better future living over here"

I nodded my head not knowing what to say ahead

"When you were 7, Harry expired leaving Sue and two small children behind. He was one of my best friends and all of us helped Sue in recovering. We both started off as friends but soon life gave us a second chance and we fell in love. Now tell me if I hadn't listened to my heart at that time would I be going back to a happy house with four kids and a beautiful wife today. Sometimes you have to just listen to your heart and jump when it tells you to"

"But what if your decision is going to hurt someone else?"

"Bella there is no decision that can be taken without affecting atleast one person in this world. Someone or the other will get affected and will be hurt. You can't live your life for other people. You've got to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some people you love"

"What if it is a family member then what do you do?"

"Bella you remember Greg Young right?"

I nodded my head. Greg was Sue's cousin. When Sue's parents died at an early age, Greg's parents had taken her in. Greg and she were very close growing up and I had met his daughter Emily a few times too when they came to visit.

"He was my good friend too. When Sue and I decided to marry, he did not approve of our relationship. He felt Sue was making a mistake by marrying outside the tribe. He refused to attend the wedding. Sue had been heartbroken. She had seen Greg like a father figure and it hurt me too that my friend would think so low of me"

"Then how did you patch up?"

"A few years later when he saw how happy the both of us were he realized his mistake and came to apologize and with time Sue and Greg's relationship became like it had been before all of this. Time heals all wounds Bella."

"So are you saying I should follow my heart?"

"Everyone deserves happiness and if your heart is leading you to happiness, follow it"

"Some people will get hurt" I whispered

"Sympathy is a good emotion to have but empathy is not always good. If you start thinking about everyone else when will you live for yourself?"

I nodded my head "Does it make me a terrible person to choose myself over someone I love?"

"No it doesn't" "Everyone deserves to live for themselves. The fact that you care about their happiness is more important."

I gave him a tight hug "Thank you daddy"

He kissed my forehead and we sat on the cliffs for some more time in silence.

After going home again I cooked dinner for everyone and happily chatted during the entire meal. I knew that my decision was going to change everything and this could be my last family dinner before a long long time. I hugged both of my parents, Leah and Seth and kissed Hazel on the cheek before sleeping. If they noticed my weird behavior they did not question it.

The next morning I woke up before everyone else and drove my truck to one end of the reservation to the only house that stood there. I would have to leave for school in a while but before that I had something important to do.

I knocked at the door and a half asleep Sam opened the door.

"Bella" he looked at me in shock "Come in"

I followed him in the house. The house looked unkept and he himself did not look any better. He had not shaved in days and he had dark circles beneath his eyes.

"So what can I get for you?"

"Sam" I whispered. I did not know how to tell him the next part so I decided to just blurt it out.

"I accept the imprint"

He stared at me with his mouth open for a few minutes before pulling me into his arms.

"I love you" he mumbled in my hair

"I love you too"

"I am never letting you go"

I hugged him tighter "Me too"

We stood there in each other's arms for I don't know how long. I knew the journey ahead would be difficult but whatever came our way we would pass through it together.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you sarae32, catgrl, GomezAddams1, .7334, hstevens08161, Cokey90 and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

Chapter 9-

'You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because Reality is finally better than your dreams'

-Dr. Seuss

When I was a kid, Charlie often used to tell me, 'Kiddo, don't give up and always be optimistic in life because there will be a day when your reality will be better than any dream you could have dreamt'. I never knew the significance in this statement but as I sat today on the couch in Sam's living room I knew that this was one of those moments.

After the initial euphoria of me accepting the imprint had passed, Sam pulled me in with him and sat on the couch with me nestled close to him. No words were needed to be spoken as the both of us relished in the comfort and warmth of one another. I could see the outline of the yellow in Sam's eyes and knew that the wolf needed to be close to me too in this moment and Sam purred in delight as I played with his huge hands.

"Sam I need to go to school. I will be late if I don't leave now" I whispered

He shrugged and shook his head "No don't go today"

"Yeah and what reason will I give my parents for my absence?" I asked him raising my eyebrow

"Tell them your boyfriend refused to let you leave"

"Boyfriend huh?" I asked him with a smirk

"Yup I told you I am never letting you go"

I gave him a small smile "You better not mister"

"Don't worry, I plan to keep this promise till I die" he said in a serious tone as I blushed

"But seriously Sam I need to go"

He sighed "Can I drop you to school?"

"Sam" I said hesitantly "There will be too many questions asked"

"Bella…"

"Hear me out" I interrupted him "I don't want us to hide. I don't want us to be each other's dirty secret but before we tell the others, don't you think we should tell Leah. It will hurt her much more if she hears it from someone else"

He nodded his head "Okay we can do that"

"Will the council let us tell her the real reason?" "At least she will know why all of this happened"

He shook his head "No they won't. No one is allowed to know. Luckily my parents don't live here or even I would be forced to hide it from them"

I sadly nodded my head

"Don't get upset" he said cuddling me close to him "We will think of something"

"Yeah we will" I whispered

"Will I see you after school?" he asked me and I nodded my head

I got up from the couch and started walking towards the door when his voice stopped me

"Bella I know we had a rocky start but can we start afresh? Will you go out with me tonight?"

I smiled and nodded my head and he gave me a huge dazzling smile in return.

"Meet me here directly after school. We will leave in my car and this place is hidden by the woods so no one will see us leave town"

I nodded my head "Okay Mr. Uley now I should go. Also another thing I love you" I said laughing

"I love you too now go before I change my mind and refuse to let you leave. Don't force me to kidnap you"

"It is not called kidnapping if I stay willingly" I said lowering my voice

"Okay that's it" he said laughing and started coming closer to me but before he could pull me in his arms and make me change my mind I ran out to my truck laughing.

"Bye I will see you in the afternoon. Go patrol"

"Yup back to the sad reality of my life"

I nodded my head and started my truck to drive to La Push High. I had a constant smile on my face throughout and I had a doubt that it was disappearing any time soon.

The first few classes went by very quickly though concentrating on what was being taught was a lost cause. I was too happy and excited for the day to end for that. The period before lunch was one of the only classes I shared with Leah and all my excitement was switched to guilt when I saw the sorrow on her face as she walked towards the seat next to mine. I was conflicted. A part of me was guilty of being happy when someone I cared about was suffering because of me but another part of me knew that I had no choice in what I did, I tried to fight the imprint but in the end had to choose my own happiness over my family's. I loved Sam though and I did not want that to ever change. Yes our start was rocky but as Sam put it today, we could get a fresh start by going on today's date and getting to know one another. I just hoped that when shit hits the fan and everything goes haywire Leah would have it in her to forgive us, though I knew that her forgiveness would not be so easy to achieve without letting her know the reason for us betraying her. No we would have to find a way to tell her the truth even if it means going against the council. She deserves at least that much, the truth.

"Where were you today morning?" whispered Leah "I was waiting for you at home"

In my haste to meet Sam I had totally forgotten to inform Leah that I was traveling to school separately today. Since years the both of us drove to school together. On day we would take her car and one day my truck.

"Sorry I forgot. Had some work"

"What work?"

I took a deep breath. Leah and I rarely had any secrets. Growing up together not only had she been my sister but she was also my best friend. We told one another everything. This was the first time I was forced to hide something this big from her.

"I had gone to meet someone. I have a date tonight"

She squealed in joy

"Ms Clearwater, do you anything to say to the class?" asked our English teacher Mr. Dixon

"No nothing" she said shaking her head

"Then please don't disrupt my class"

She nodded her head as I hid my giggles

"So who is it? Do I know him?" she whispered

"Yes you know him" I whispered going back to my reading work.

"Who is it? Is it Paul?" she asked excitedly

"Nope"

She threw around a few more names of our classmates before giving up.

"Come on. I always tell you stuff" she said pouting

"Lee you will know very soon" I told her before whispering to myself 'and I hope you will forgive me'

"Okay but I need details once you come back tonight and where are you both going?"

I nodded my head "I don't know it is a surprise"

She clapped her hands excitedly "A person who can make Bella Swan like surprises. I like the guy already"

I nodded my head and went back to my book not looking at her again.

Soon the bell rang and we walked towards the cafeteria for lunch.

"Are you okay?" she asked me

"Yeah why"

"You seem lost"

I just shrugged

I don't know how Leah was managing to be this strong. Since the first few days after her break up she had been exceptionally strong and always had a smile on her face, however small it was, when she left her room. She tried to put her mind in other work to hide her pain and I just hoped that the news of me and Sam being together would not be her breaking point.

We entered the cafeteria and sat at our usual table with Paul and a few of our other classmates.

We spoke for a while about how are weekends were and other mundane topics.

"So I saw Sam Uley yesterday" started Emma "He was jumping from the upper cliffs as a recreational activity."

"The upper cliffs, who jumps from that? Has he finally gone off his rocker?" said Jason

Everyone in La Push and Forks who wanted to go cliff diving would jump from the lower level cliffs. Jumping from the upper level cliffs was considered suicidal though I knew that Sam could survive it because of his werewolf genes.

Leah took a breath in and visibly paled and Paul kept looking at me. I gave him a glare after which he stopped staring at me.

"I always knew that there was something wrong with the loner" said Natalie and Emma nodded her head.

"I will just be back" said Leah before leaving the cafeteria

I followed her out.

"Leah stop" I shouted walking behind her

"The upper cliffs, Bella" "Is he trying to commit suicide?"

"Leah, she said it was for recreational purpose"

"Still it makes no sense. The entire thing makes no sense. Suddenly coming back all bulked up after his disappearance and all of his weird behavior since then"

"It will make sense one day"

We could not tell Leah directly anything but what if she found out on her own. Even she has heard the legends and we won't be breaking any rules in that way. I will have to talk to Sam about this.

"I just need some time alone" she said before leaving the corridors

I did not see Leah for the next few classes and after messaging her that I would see her at home tonight I left in my truck for Sam's place. I messaged Charlie and Sue too who told me not to be late as it was a school night.

Sam was waiting for me at the porch when I arrived and opened the door for me taking my hand and helping me out.

"Hey"

"Hey, how was school?"

"It was okay" "So where are we going?"

"I was thinking of taking you to Port Angeles. I know this place there that you will really like"

"Cool let's go"

I left my truck there and sat in his car.

We quickly left La Push and were on the way to Port Angeles. We spoke about anything and everything on the way.

"Here we are" he said parking his car outside Port Angeles Fine Art Center

"Port Angeles Fine Art Center?"

"Yup I really like their artwork. I often come here and I think you will like it too"

"Let's go then" I said giving him a smile and taking his outstretched hand.

We walked the trail at the Webster Woods Art Park. It was a fun experience and quite interesting. Various artworks were scattered in a 5 acre radius with narrow trails leading you from one to another. Some works were hidden so we had to hunt them out. Some were up in the trees, others on the ground.

Sam had a huge smile on his face throughout and I could see how much he loved it here. He told that this was ephemeral art, meaning it was to decay naturally with its surroundings. Art was everywhere our eyes fell and it was like a scavenger hunt. We spent a few hours stopping next to every piece and clicking photos with it.

"This is beautiful" I told Sam

"I am glad you like it"

"You promised me you will show me one of your portraits" I told him remembering our earlier conversation.

"I have an even better idea. What if I show you the portrait I drew of you"

"You drew my portrait?" I asked him shocked

"I missed you these past days" he said shrugging

"I am sorry Sam for the pain I made you go through"

"It is okay" "I have you now" he said pulling me in his arms

I could not wait any longer. I needed to feel his lips on mine. I connected my lips to his giving him a peck but he had other plans as, as soon as I pulled back his lips were on mine forcefully demanding entrance which I happily provided. We kissed till the need for air became necessary.

"Wow that was good" I managed to speak out as he kissed my forehead before giving me a peck on my swollen lips.

He laughed and held my hand again.

"So do you like Thai cuisine?" he asked me as we left the art center

"Yeah"

"I know this really good Thai restaurant nearby"

"Sure let's go"

He drove to the restaurant he had told me about and we entered inside. The female hostess was staring at Sam like he was something to eat and I tightly grabbed his hand glaring at her, to which he chuckled and kissed my forehead.

We took a table for two and ordered our food as our server approached. I noticed that he had ordered for four people instead of two.

"So is the huge appetite a werewolf thing?"

"When we run we burn a lot of calories and so we are constantly hungry also we need to eat to get our energy back"

I nodded my head

"What does that tattoo on your arm mean?"

"It is a pack symbol signifying two wolves. All shape shifters have to get it"

"Do you think someone else will phase?"

"The elders think either Jared Cameron or Paul Lahote is next"

"Paul?" I asked shocked

"His father Adam Lahote had the gene though his generation did not phase"

"Oh" I whispered

I asked him a few more questions about being a shape shifter which he happily answered.

"So how did you get interested in sketching?" I asked him

"I don't know. I guess I was never into movies or music. I liked reading but not that much. Sketching calms me down and it was my favorite past time growing up" "What about you? What are your hobbies?"

"I like reading and cooking"

He nodded his head

"Tell me about your childhood?" I asked him

He shrugged "I am an only child as you know. My parents divorced when I was two after which my father skipped town and my mother became a workaholic. I was raised mostly by my paternal grandmother who expired a few years back"

"I am sorry for your loss"

"It is okay. She would have loved to meet you though"

I smiled a bit "I can't imagine living in a house without siblings though. They are annoying sure but they are great company you know" I said remembering all those memories.

"You moved to the res when you were 9, right"

"Yeah"

I told him the story of my first day in the res school and how I had been bullied and how Paul had saved me.

"So that is why you and Paul are such good friends?" he asked me

"He is a nice guy below all that cockiness and meanness"

He nodded his head

We spoke for some more time before he drove back to his place so that I could take my truck and drive home.

I told him that I would meet him tomorrow before sitting in my truck and starting it.

Everyone was sitting in the living room when I entered and I made the excuse that I was tired and wanted to sleep to avoid the questions which were going to come my way. Leah did not say anything but I knew that she would ask me about this tomorrow.

I did my daily nighttime routine before lying down on the bed and thinking about today. It had been a good day and I really enjoyed spending time with Sam. It felt natural and comfortable to be around him.

I must have hardly slept an hour when I heard someone continuously ring the doorbell harshly.

I got out of bed and walked downstairs to open the door.

Charlie and Sue had also come out of their room hearing the noise and so had Leah and Seth.

"Who the hell is this? Disturbing at this time" groaned Leah and I totally agreed

"Wait I will check" said Charlie

He opened the door while the rest of us waited behind

"Jake what are you doing here and at this time?" said Charlie

Jacob just ran in

"Bells, why weren't you picking up your phone?" he said coming in front of me

"It must have run out of battery" I said confused

"You have to come with me now" he said leaving no space for argument

"What? Where"

"Just come. It is important"

"Jacob Black, where are you taking my daughter at this time?" said Charlie

"Bells we don't have much time. We have to go now" he said ignoring Charlie "It is about Sam. He needs you"

I did not need to hear another word as I followed him out.

In my peripheral vision I could see the others follow us but I could only concentrate on Sam right now. We ran the short distance to the Black's house.

Sarah and Billy were waiting outside and I could hear screams coming from inside. Sam's screams.

"What happened?" I asked them frantically

"A leech attacked Sam when he was on patrol right now, almost killed him. Somehow he managed to reach the edge of the woods and phase back. Jacob, who for some reason felt the need to be wandering outside at this time, found him and got him here" said Billy glaring at Jake

I hugged Jake tightly "Thank you" I whispered as tears fell down my eyes

"We had to tell Jake everything" said Sarah

"How is Sam now?" I asked them

"I have done what I could. His bones are rejoining now. He told us to leave. It was too much pain to see" said Sarah

I nodded my head and ran inside

Sam was lying on the bed in Jacob's room and his forehead was glistened with sweat.

"Sam" I whispered running to him

"Bella" he said between two screams

I took a napkin and wiped the sweat and grime of his face being careful not to hurt him more.

"Sit next to me"

I nodded my head and sat on the bed next to him taking his hand in my hand.

I had just kissed his forehead when I looked up to see four people staring at us.

Charlie, Sue, Seth and Leah.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you .7334, Taylor9901, catgrl, brankel1, MammaNita4, sarae32, YankeeGirlNJ, Cokey90, Coolestbee, MageVicky and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

Chapter 10-

"Life is a storm my young friend,

You will bask in the sunlight one moment,

Be shattered on the rocks the next.

What makes you a man is

What you do when that storm comes"

-Alexander Dumas

I had just kissed his forehead when I looked up to see four people staring at us.

Charlie, Sue, Seth and Leah.

My body felt numb. I did not know how to react to this. Sam's hand tightened its grip on mine and I readily accepted the support. This was definitely not how I envisioned my family finding out about us but I guess things don't always go your way. I don't know how long we kept staring at one another. It could have been seconds or even hours but no one broke the silence. Four faces mirroring shock and disbelief were staring back at me.

"Bella what on earth is going on over here?" asked Charlie barely keeping his anger in control.

Before I could answer, the door stormed open and Billy, Sarah and Jake entered the room. The air around us was heavy and filled with tension and Jake's small room looked even smaller. Every few minutes Sam would give out a bloodcurdling scream and I would shut my eyes to hide the pain and the tears that were threatening to fall out.

"Charlie, like I told you before you barged in. This does not concern you and you should not be here" said Billy, his face completely firm and serious.

"And even I remember telling you that I will not leave my daughter here alone in this room at this time with a man I don't trust" he spat out.

I could see Sam wincing on Charlie's comment.

"This is council business" said Billy

"Damn you Billy. Till I remember my daughter is not a part of your council so don't give me this ridiculous excuse that you keep throwing around. This is my family and I will not let you take a decision in this matter." he shouted "And anyways what is Sam Uley doing here. His injuries look serious. How did he get hurt and why is he here instead of a hospital?" asked Charlie looking at Sam.

I could see Leah trying to get to Sam to check on him herself, her eyes glistening with tears but Sue had tightly held Leah's hand in hers. I could see the recognition and pain in Sue's eyes. She knew. I don't know how much she knew but she knew enough to understand what had happened.

"He fell of a bike and you don't need to worry about him. He is being looked after by us" said Billy

Charlie scoffed "Like hell you expect me to believe that. Anyone can see this is not a bike accident"

"Believe what you want Charlie but I have nothing else to tell you. Just that you and your family need to leave my house right now"

"I thought we were friends Billy"

"You thought wrong" said Billy his calm voice hiding the pain he felt

"I will talk to you once you get some sense in your head" said Charlie before walking towards me "Come on Bella. We need to go home. We will talk about this at home."

Sam's hand held me tighter and his eyes were pleading with me not to leave him and go.

"Bella is not going anywhere. Sam needs her and she needs to be here with him" said Billy wheeling his wheelchair in front of us, positioning himself between us and Charlie.

"Why?" questioned Charlie and I could see the same question in three other set of eyes "Why does Bella 'need' to be here"

"Please calm down" said Sarah coming in between them "This is not the place or time to have this discussion. Charlie, please go home right now. Sam needs to rest and it is very late. We will talk in the morning"

"No I am not leaving without an answer on why my daughter needs to be here at this time and why was she sitting on the bed with this man, holding his hand and kissing his forehead like they are together and I know for a fact that all three of you have an answer to this" he spat out looking at Billy, Sarah and Jake.

Sam's eyes met mine, an unspoken question in them. I nodded my head. We were not one another's dirty secret and I would never hide my love for him. I owed him this much. Yes this was not how I wanted my parents or Leah to find out about us both but now we had run out of time and this needed to be done.

"Is this true are you both together?" whispered Leah, a broken expression on her face.

I nodded my head not trusting my voice right now

Sam who had stopped screaming by now tried to get up but I stopped him from moving his body. He had broken several bones and movement was not good for him right now. He needed to stay still so that his bones would set in a correct manner.

"No" whispered Leah falling on her knees. Sue engulfed her in her arms falling on her knees with her.

"Bella why?" asked Charlie rubbing the back of his neck

"Chief Swan I…" started Sam

"Don't you dare mutter a word Uley" said Charlie

"Why?" shouted Leah

"I am sorry Leah" I whispered

"No you are not sorry. If you cared about me you would not have betrayed me like this. Stay the fuck away from me." said Leah getting up and walking out of the room. I heard the front door shutting behind her.

"Come on Seth. Let's go" said Sue, her eyes looking at me with pity and pain.

Sue and Seth left the room and so did Jake and Sarah leaving only the four of us behind.

"Why Bella why?" asked Charlie. His voice more upset than angry.

"Charlie you need to leave right now" said Billy

He shook his head refusing to move

"Dad, please go home. I need to be here right now but I will explain everything to you when I come home" I pleaded with him

He reluctantly nodded his head "I did not expect this from you Bella" he said before walking out of the room.

I broke down as Sam wrapped me in his arms and softly ran his hands through my hair. Fate was a cruel thing that had made me betray my own sister and made Sam betray the one he had loved.

"Shh it is going to be okay. We will talk to them. We will explain everything to them. They will understand" said Sam kissing every inch of my face.

"I hope they do" I whispered as I leaned my head on his chest lying down next to him "Am I hurting you?" I asked as I saw the position we were lying down in. My entire bodyweight was on him.

"No I will be as good as new by morning and plus having you near helps me heal faster"

"How"

"Imprinting powers" he said wrapping his arms around me "If either one of us is hurt having the other one around helps us heal faster."

I nodded my head "What happened tonight? Billy told me that Jake found you"

He sighed "I was out on patrol after our date. I was taking my last lap when out of nowhere a leech jumped in front of me. I attacked but he was strong and while I was fighting him another leech attacked me from behind. I was no match for two and though I fought I knew that this was it. A lone wolf could not defeat them. But looks like they were just playing with me and as soon as I phased when the injury became too severe for the wolf they laughed and left joking about how it was good fun. I did not bother going behind them and somehow managed to reach the edge of the woods where I passed out. When I woke up again I was lying on this bed and Sarah was nursing my wounds."

"What if something would have happened to you?" I whispered. Even the idea was terrifying.

"This is my job Bella. I am supposed to do this and that is why we have the accelerated healing so that we recover soon. It is difficult to kill us. Though I failed in my task today and I will have to answer the council for this"

"You can't be serious Sam. One against two how is that fair. How can they blame you for this?"

"None of the present council members ever phased. They don't understand. They just want results" he said sighing.

I nodded my head and we stayed there on the bed that was too small for two people, lying down in silence. I don't remember when sleep overtook me and my eyes closed.

I woke up when I felt soft lips cover every inch of my face and neck, biting on my earlobe. Warm tanned hands were running over my body caressing every inch of skin.

"Good morning" I said relishing in the comfort of his body. He was currently lying on top of me though making sure not to crush me by his bodyweight.

"Morning" he mumbled burying his face in my shoulder

"Your body looks completely healed"

"I told you I will be as good as new by today"

I nodded my head

I wrapped my arms around him as he continued licking, sucking and kissing on my neck turning me on and fondling my breasts with his hands.

"Sam" I moaned "Don't stop"

A hmm was the only response as he continued teasing me.

"Crap" said a voice as the both of us turned to look at it.

"Shit I am sorry. I should have knocked" stuttered Jake nervously

Sam growled at him loudly and I rolled my eyes

"Come on time to get up" I said as I got out from under him.

"Yes Jacob, what did you want?" Sam asked him wrapping his arms around me

"This is kind of my room and I wanted stuff from in here" he said hiding his laugh

"Oh yeah sorry" I said trying to hide my embarrassment as Sam scowled at him "So I will be in the kitchen" I said before leaving the room.

"Bella wait" said Jacob as I had reached the door "Dad has called for a council meeting today morning. He told me to tell you both." he said looking at Sam who nodded his head.

I left the room and walked to the kitchen. I knew how important today's council meeting was. Not only had Sam fought his first vampire last night but we had to convince them to let us tell Charlie, Sue and Leah the truth about wolves too.

"Good morning Bella" said Sarah

"Good morning"

"So had a good start to the morning?" she said giving me a knowing smile as I blushed

"Umm I am going to go to the dining room and sit with Billy" I told her as I grabbed my cup of coffee and walked out.

After eating breakfast and taking a quick shower I was sitting in the Black's living room waiting for the meeting to start. I had decided that I would go home to face the music after knowing the result of this meeting. I knew that this would be difficult on Leah but at least she would know that we tried to fight it.

Billy had sent Jake to the garage because even though he now knew about shape shifters and imprinting he was still not eligible to attend a council meeting. Only elders, Shape shifters and imprints could attend.

Old Quil walked in first followed by three men who I did not recognize who were followed by three other men. They sat on the empty chairs placed in the living room.

I was sitting next to Sam and he took my hand in his.

"Bella these are our tribal elders" said Sam "You already know Billy Black and Old Quil Ateara. The others are Jason Cameron, Carl Littlesea, Ronnie Fuller, Thomas Smith, Rick Jones and Jim Rogers" "And this is my imprint Bella Swan" he said looking at the others.

I smiled and nodded my head at them.

"We are eight of us and the ninth elder is Sam himself" said Billy and I looked at Sam

"Why didn't you tell me?" I looked at him with pride in my eyes. I knew how big a deal this was, to be given such an important post at the young age of nineteen.

"New development" he shrugged

"So we should begin the meeting" coughed Old Quil

"Sam was faced with a vampire last night" said Billy

"And?" asked Rick Jones "Did he succeed?"

"No they escaped"

"I see" said Rick "Report Samuel Uley"

Sam quickly narrated the events of last night telling them that he was taken by surprise and there were two of them but none of them except Billy, looked like they understood.

"Such a thing should not happen again" said Thomas Smith and the others nodded their heads in approval.

"Things will get better once others phase" said Billy "Jason how close is Jared to phasing?"

"He is showing the early signs"

Billy nodded his head "Sam, keep an eye on him"

"We also have another matter to discuss" said Billy before telling them what had transpired since Sam imprinted on me till the night before.

"So we ask for your permission to tell Leah the truth about wolves and imprinting" said Sam once Billy had finished talking.

No one said anything for a few minutes and I gripped Sam's hand tighter.

"Why?" said Ronnie Fuller "I don't see any reason for Leah Clearwater to know anything about this"

"It is already bad enough that Jacob had to be told before time" said Carl Littlesea "But that can still be accepted considering he is the true alpha and will phase eventually but Leah is female and cannot phase and there is no guarantee that someone will imprint on her. We cannot risk her knowing."

"I agree with them. She cannot be told" said Rick Jones

"Please" I pleaded "She is my sister and will hate me if we don't tell her"

"I am sorry child but rules are rules" said Old Quil

"Can we take a vote on this?" asked Billy "Yes to let Leah know and No to not let her know"

"I vote no" said Rick Jones

"Even I say no" said Carl Littlesea

"My vote is no too" said Ronnie Fuller

I closed my eyes. I already knew what was coming and I did not want to face it.

"I vote yes" I opened my eyes to see that Old Quil had said Yes

"My vote is yes" said Jason Cameron

"I say yes" said Billy

"My vote is no" said Thomas Smith

"If Jim says yes it will be a tie and Sam's vote will be the tie breaker. As of now Sam cannot vote in this matter but in such a case his vote will be counted" said Billy

All of us were on our seats edge. I was mentally praying that he says yes and the vote comes down to Sam.

"My vote is no" said Jim Rogers and my hopes shattered

I closed my eyes. The council had said no.

Billy sighed "The council has taken its decision. Leah Clearwater cannot be told about shape shifters and imprinting"

"Please Billy" I said as Sam wrapped his arms around me

Billy shook his head looking at the floor.

"Samuel Uley as the chief of this tribe I order your wolf not to tell Leah or Charlie anything about the existence of shape shifters or the fact that you have imprinted on Bella" said Billy in a strong firm voice and I felt Sam's shoulders fall. He reluctantly nodded his head.

"And Bella" said Billy "If you break the law by telling her or Charlie there will be a punishment for it"

"What punishment?" asked Sam

"You, Samuel Uley and Bella Swan will be banished from tribal land and will never be allowed to return and neither will any of your descendents. Your children will not be considered a part of this tribe"

The both of us looked at Billy and the other elders in shock. No, this could not be happening.

"We have reached our decision and today's meeting ends over here" said Billy and one of by one all of them left the house leaving only me, Sam, Billy and Sarah in the house.

"I am extremely sorry Bella" said Billy

Sam hugged me closer to him. This was a mess. I wanted to tell Leah but not on these terms. We would have to leave. Our children will never grow up knowing this part of their culture.

"That was an Alpha order right?" asked Sam looking at Billy

Billy nodded his head "Though I did not phase, I can still give an alpha order which you cannot refuse because of my seniority"

Sam nodded his head

"We will give you both some time to talk" said Sarah before the both of them left the room.

"We will take the punishment. We will leave La Push" said Sam as soon as they were out of hearing distance.

"What no" I said "We can't do that. Sam our children will never be able to see the heritage of your side"

He winced

"Bella it is okay. We will start anew"

"Sam, tell me honestly. Before today did you want to leave La Push and go?"

He shook his head "I grew up over here. Unlike others I like it here and don't want to leave. But this is a small price to pay in comparison to your happiness"

I shook my head "Thank you for being honest but I cannot do this to you"

I took a deep breath "We will not tell Leah or anyone else anything"


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you YankeeGirlNJ, MageVicky, Sassy Mami, MammaNita4, Catgrl, .7334, sarae32, Taylor9901 and WinterQueenAmelia for your reviews.

Chapter 11-

I shook my head "Thank you for being honest but I cannot do this to you"

I took a deep breath "We will not tell Leah or anyone else anything"

"Are you sure you are okay with this?" asked Sam after a few minutes of silence

"No Sam I am definitely not okay with hurting my sister and with the fact that my family thinks that I am a boyfriend stealer" I shouted at him before taking my head in my hands "Sorry I did not mean to snap at you"

He came closer to me and pulled me in his arms, his hands softly running through my hair "Shh it is going to be okay"

"How will that ever happen Sam without telling them the actual reason?"

"We will think of something" he assured me

"You know I am so infuriated right now but I know that no amount of shouting or screaming is going to make the council change their decision. They have taken their decision and we have to deal with the consequences"

He was about to say something when I interrupted him

"Let me finish. Look I understand why secrecy is so important. If this information that a few members of this tribe can change into huge wolves to protect the tribe from vampires reaches the wrong ears it could put all of us at a risk. It would put you or anyone else who phases next in danger and you could be locked in a laboratory with all sorts of experiments being conducted on you" I took a deep breath to calm myself "small children would be taken away from their parents and studied instead of living a normal life leading a normal childhood and so it is important that only a few people know of this but Charlie and Leah are not outsiders. They can be trusted and they would never betray the tribe in such a manner and Sue already knows this big secret. I understand we cannot tell Seth or Hazel yet but why not the other two?"

He nodded his head "Wait Sue knows?"

"Yeah I am assuming because she was on the tribal council when she was married to Harry and from her behavior I think she knew of the Cullen's too"

"But she is not on the tribal council any longer" he asked confused

I nodded my head "She was asked to quit when she married Charlie as she was no longer Mrs. Clearwater and the council felt she no longer deserved to hold such an important position"

"What" he shouted "But that is so wrong. How can they do that?"

"You know how the council is" I told him "We just saw their behavior"

He sighed "You know sometimes I hate that I was the first one to phase. I hate being the alpha and I hate being the one who has to report to them on every small detail. I am only nineteen Bella and I am not allowed to have any life outside of this. The council takes every decision for me. I can't have a job. I can't leave La Push for longer than a few hours. The council has offered me a plot of land and a fixed income every month to survive but it is not enough. It covers the necessities but nothing more. They don't understand the fact that I am not free to live my life the way I want. They don't understand the pain you go through when you phase for the first time or how you explode every time you get angry. They don't understand that destroying vampires is not easy and my life is constantly at risk. Yes I am proud that I am a protector but I didn't ask for this and as more people phase my responsibilities will only increase. I will be held responsible for every small or big mistake they make and frankly this is too much responsibility for a nineteen year old"

I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him, all the love I have for him wrapped up in that one kiss.

"I love you" I told him taking his head in my hands "Never forget that"

He nodded his head "You are the only good thing in my life right now"

"Sam we will pass through this together. I know we have to deal through a lot more shit than normal couples go through but you have me and I have you and this part of our life will pass"

"How did I get this lucky?" he asked me with a small smile

"Maybe this is because of the fact that you are an amazing person and deserve every happiness that comes your way"

"I love you so much" he said

"I love you too"

"You know I have started training Jacob so that even before he phases he knows what is going to happen to him and is prepared to be the Alpha and future chief after he phases. He is reluctant right now but maybe in a few years he will be ready to lead the pack."

"When do you think he will phase?"

"He is only sixteen and I phased at nineteen so I don't exactly know at what age the genes kick in but because of the vampires living this close to us, he can phase earlier so in a year or two"

I nodded my head "I think I should go home now. It is time to face the music"

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No. I have to do this on my own"

He nodded his head

"But what will I tell them? How did we fall in love?"

He thought for a few minutes "Tell them that after my breakup with Leah you were consoling me and we got to know one another and fell in love. That is the closest we can get to the truth"

I nodded my head "Yeah I guess. But I still wish we could tell Leah and Charlie"

"I know. I wished Billy had not given me an Alpha order"

"You know part of me also hates Billy for this. He is like a second father to me. I know he can't be biased when he is the chief but I wished that he would have tried a bit more for us"

"I know but the council is as archaic as they can get and they don't accept change well. They would not have listened even if he would have tried."

I nodded my head and sighed "I should go now"

"I will walk you home"

We walked the short distance in silence holding each other's hands too lost in our own thoughts.

"I have to go for patrol now. I will talk to you later"

I nodded my head "Stay safe"

"Always am" he said giving me a smile and turning in the opposite direction.

I walked towards my house and opened the door that we rarely locked when someone was at home. The living room was in a mess. Things were thrown on the floor and a lamp was broken the pieces lying on the floor.

Before I could even enter, Leah came running down from her room. She was wearing the same clothes as last night and her eyes were red as if she had cried the entire night.

"How could you?" she shouted "I thought you were my sister, my best friend"

"Leah, please understand our intention was never to hurt you. I tried fighting it but could not"

Sue and Charlie had also come out of their room hearing our conversation. Charlie looked as if he had aged overnight and Sue's eyes were sad and filled with pain.

She snorted "I bet you did. So tell me Ms. Isabella Marie Swan, how long has this been going on between my ex boyfriend and my 'sister' or was it also on when he was my boyfriend?" she asked her voice icy and hard.

"Leah we were nothing when you both were dating. He was not cheating on you. Our feelings for one another developed after you both broke up"

She laughed a bitter laugh "He moved on pretty fast don't you think for a man who had promised to marry me and look at you, it did not take you very long to spread your legs for him"

"Leah" shouted Sue

"What wrong am I saying mom? This is the truth. Here I am still crying over that man and now I hear that my dearest sister has been fucking him behind my back. Is this some fucking joke Karma played on me?"

"Leah, please believe me. We could not fight the attraction we have for one another. I tried my hardest. I wish I could tell you everything but I can't"

"Why? Why can't you tell me?"

I shook my head "I just can't"

"Don't you think we are keeping a lot of secrets these days from one another?"

"Leah this is not my secret to share. I wish I could tell you but I can't"

She snorted "Of course when do you do anything wrong"

"Does this have something to do with Billy and the council?" asked Charlie

I nodded my head

"I knew it" he shouted "I told him not to interfere in my family life but that damn council gets pleasure in ruining people's lives."

"Charlie calm down" said Sue "All this shouting is not good for your health"

"You proved me wrong today Bella" said Leah "I made a mistake in trusting you and thinking that you were my best friend. You are just a man stealer and honestly I don't believe a word of that crap you just said. If you cared so much about me you would have fought harder"

"Leah you remember when I was going out on dates right? I tried to forget Sam" I cried out.

"The population of the world is 6.6 billion. Are you trying to tell me that out of 6.6 billion people the only one you could find who was your perfect match was my ex boyfriend" she shouted

I nodded my head looking at the floor. Once again I cursed the council for not letting me tell them the truth. Yes it would probably not have lessened her pain but it would have given her the reason why this all happened.

She gave out a bitter laugh "Just tell me one thing, did our break up happen because of you?"

I closed my eyes and nodded my head. Technically unintentionally I had caused their break up. "Though we were not together at that time"

"I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree. You are just like your biological mother who took what she wanted without giving a damn about anyone else's feeling. Like mother like daughter, inconsiderate bitches. She tore dad's heart out when she left and you destroyed the relationship which Sam and I shared"

I don't know what overtook me the next instant and before I could react my hand had slapped Leah across the face.

"Don't talk about my mother Renee, in that way"

When I realized what I had done I covered my mouth with my hands "I am so sorry Leah"

"Screw you. I don't ever want to see your face again" she shouted before disappearing towards her room

I fell to the ground as tears fell from my face. Why was everything around me crumbling?

Sue wrapped her arms around me "Shh you know how her anger is. She says hurtful things without meaning them when she is angry"

I shook my head "No mom, she actually means it this time"

"Come on. Let's go to your room" she said helping me in getting up and leading me to my room.

"Sam is a shape shifter" she said as the room door shut behind her. It was not a question but a statement.

I nodded my head

"And he imprinted on you" another statement

I nodded my head again

She sighed and sat on the bed "And let me guess, the council refused to let Charlie and Leah know the truth"

I nodded my head

"Without knowing the reason Charlie will never accept this and this will kill Leah"

"I know" I whispered

"Are you happy with him?"

"Yes, he makes me very happy" I told her honestly

"Good you deserve this happiness"

"Will Leah ever forgive me because I am sure she hates me right now" I whispered

She was quiet for a few minutes "Yes she will. Time heals all wounds. With time even this wound will heal and your relationship will become cordial again. Things will never go back to how they were but at least you will be able to be friends with one another. Bella, when a cloth is torn to two pieces even after you stitch it back, the tear mark stays, and relationships are like that. The tear mark will always remain but you will be able to live with it"

"When will things get better?"

"When she finds the one for her, at that time you both will get her acceptance"

I nodded my head

"I should go check on Leah" she said before leaving the room.

A few minutes after she left Charlie entered the room. He looked tired and upset.

"I don't know what to tell you Bella"

I did not say anything. I knew that I would have to have this conversation sooner or later.

"You were my mature daughter. Despite of being younger than Leah the one who I always went to when I had a problem"

"Dad I…"

He stopped me from speaking. He took a deep breath as if the next part was difficult for him to speak out.

"I want you to break up with him"

"What" I said perplexed

"I have never interfered in you'll children's life. I let you take your own decisions and let you make your own mistakes but Bella he is not the one for you. A man who comes in between two sisters can never be correct. He is just using you"

"Dad he is not like that" I said trying to prove to him that Sam was the last person who would want to ruin the relationship between two people.

"I don't care what kind of a person he is. I just don't want him anywhere near my family"

"I will not break up with him. I love him"

He sighed "Till you live under my roof, you have to follow my rules and I don't want you dating him. I can't let my one daughter cry because of the other."

"In that case I will have to leave your house and go"

"What?"

"Dad is this your final decision that I have to break up with him in order to stay under your roof"

He sighed and nodded his head

"I turn eighteen in four days. I will stay with Billy and Sarah till then and then I will rent a place for myself. If you stop me right now I will leave then" I whispered

"Bella don't do this. No boy is worth this"

"He is dad and maybe my leaving will give Leah some peace as she won't have to see me everyday"

"Bella please don't do this" he pleaded

"I am sorry dad. I love you all a lot but as you have always said we have to make our own decisions and even if this is a mistake which I know it is not, I have to take this decision"

He came and hugged me as tears were falling down our faces "I don't understand your relationship with that boy but I know that you don't choose who you fall in love with. Always remember that this is your house and we are your family"

I nodded my head

After he left my room I started packing my belongings. This was not how I thought I would be moving out whenever I thought about this.

I was filling my clothes in my suitcase when Hazel came inside and sat on my bed.

"Why are you packing your bags and why is dad crying downstairs?"

"I am moving out Haze" I told her taking her in my lap and cuddling her close to me

"Why"

"Because I need to take this decision, it is better like this"

"Will you come to visit?" she asked in a small voice

"Of course I will"

"Promise"

"Of course Haze. I will talk to you every day on the phone and I will come to see cartoons with you and to make your favorite banana nutella crepes" I said kissing her on the forehead

She nodded her head "I will miss you"

"I will miss you too"

After I finished packing all that I could I walked to the living room, shutting my room door. The room that had been mine since the past eight years, the room I had countless memories in.

Charlie, Sue, Hazel and Seth were waiting downstairs for me.

"You are leaving me and going" said Seth coming to hug me

"I am going to miss you" I said hugging him tighter

"Then don't go. Sort it out with Leah"

"Seth I have to do this"

"You can't leave me here alone" he said shaking his head

"I will be in La Push only. I will meet you everyday" I said assuring him as well as myself

He hugged me for the next few minutes not saying anything as I ran my hands through his hair.

"Bella, take care of yourself" said Sue coming and hugging me

I nodded my head and after hugging Charlie one last time put my suitcases in my truck and left the place I called home for so many years.

After driving the short distance to the red quaint house I parked my truck and got out knocking on the door.

Sarah opened the door

"Can I stay here for a few days?"

She nodded her head and pulled me in with her.

A/N: Sorry for the sad ending but even before I started writing this story I had decided that Bella would be moving out mid way. This will be one of the last sad chapters as things will start getting better from the next chapter. Thank you for reading.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey guys I generally update as soon as I can but due to some reasons I could not update earlier and so I decided to post a double update this time. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Thank you.

Chapter 12-

"Happy Birthday beautiful" whispered a familiar voice in my ears as the owner of that voice left kisses all over my face.

"Hey, thank you" I said as I opened my eyes. It had been four days since I had been living at the Black's after leaving my house and today was my eighteenth birthday. Sam had been shocked and slightly upset with what had happened while he was patrolling and had come to meet me after I had left him a message so that he would know that I was currently living with Billy and Sarah. Billy, Sarah and Jake had been nothing but kind to me and had cleaned up the twin's room so that I could stay here. Though what complicated matters slightly was that Charlie and Billy were no longer on talking terms and their friendship had been severely affected because of all of this.

"So I have a surprise planned for you" said Sam giving me the smile of his that I loved

"What is it?" I asked him excited

"Not so fast. You will get your surprise in the evening but before that I have made breakfast for you in bed" he said before disappearing to the kitchen and appearing a few minutes later with a breakfast tray in his hands.

"French toast with maple ricotta and raspberries"

"Wow you made this?" I asked him surprised

"Yup I am a decent cook though Sarah helped me a bit"

"This is amazing" I said taking the first bite

"Glad you like it" he said sitting next to me on the bed

"I have to go to school now" I said as I laid my head down on his shoulder

"Yeah I will pick you from here at 6. I will be running patrols till then"

I nodded my head. Since the past four days whenever I was home, Sam was here with me and Billy had also joked that soon he would have to clear some space in the house so that Sam could keep his things as he was always here but jokes apart Sam had become like an elder brother for Jake and another son for Billy and Sarah. Jake looked up to Sam and with his training going on, all the spare time he had was spent with Sam in his garage.

We spoke for some more time before he left for his patrol and I got dressed for school.

"Happy birthday" said Sarah and Billy as I entered the dining room

"Thank you so much"

"This is for you" said Billy offering me a wrapped gift

"Billy I told you no gifts"

"Shush now kid, you only turn eighteen once. This is from both of us"

I took the gift from him with a smile on my face. I quickly opened the gift and stared at it with my mouth open when I finally got a look at it. It was a carving of a black wolf standing next to a swan and our names were engraved below it in italics.

"This is beautiful Billy"

He gave me a smile and I got up and hugged both of them.

"So I heard that Sam has planned something for you in the evening" said Sarah

"Yeah it is a surprise for me too. He is going to pick me up at six"

She gave me a small cheerful laugh "I remember my first birthday after Billy and I got together. He had made me a handmade bracelet. The first birthdays and anniversaries are always special. He had taken me on a weekend getaway on our first anniversary"

I looked at them both smiling and remembering their old days as they shared stories with me of their young days. They had been high school sweethearts and even today looked at one another with so much adoration and love in their eyes.

After talking to them for some more time I walked out towards my truck to go to school. I had opened the door when Jake came running out from his garage.

"Need a lift?"

"Yeah if you don't mind" he said

I nodded my head

He sat inside the truck and I started driving to school

"Happy birthday, this is for you" he said handing me a small package

"Jake, thank you but you did not have to bring me anything"

He shrugged as I opened his gift. It was a bracelet made of sea shells.

"This is so pretty. I love it" I told him as I hugged him and wore the bracelet on my hand.

"I did not have the money to buy you anything much so I decided to make you something instead"

"Jake this is more precious to me than any other gift" I told him as a huge matching grin came on his face.

I drove the rest of the way to school as we talked about anything and everything.

I parked the truck in the parking lot and walked the short distance inside. School day passed by normally and quickly, for which I was happy. The only sad part was that both Leah and Paul were absent today from school. During lunch both Seth and Hazel had come to meet me and wish me on my birthday and Seth had brought me Sue's fish fry that I absolutely loved. Hazel gave me a handmade card. I had my lunch with the both of them outside talking to them.

Though there were rumors on the Bella-Sam-Leah triangle as it was now referred to in La Push and Forks and I had heard whispers of this, no one had come out and asked me or told me anything on the face. Maybe a reason for this was also that the first day Sam had come to pick me up from school and had glared at anyone who stared at us.

Leah and I were no longer talking but we were also not fighting. Sue had asked me to give her time so that was what I was doing though we no longer sat on the same table during lunch or next to one another in class.

After school was over for the day I rushed home in my truck too excited for the next few hours to pass.

At sharp six, Sam came to pick me up and I got into his car as he drove towards his house. He was very silent and looked nervous for some reason.

"The first part of your surprise is waiting for you at home"

I nodded my head

He drove to his house in silence and after parking his car we entered his house. I had just entered the living room when I heard a voice from behind me.

"Bella" I turned back to look at Charlie and Sue waiting in there for me "I know everything"

Sam POV:

I was again running the boundaries of La Push so that no stray vampire could enter our lands. Being the only one to phase was a difficult task as all responsibility invariably fell on my shoulders.

Today was my girl's eighteenth birthday and her first birthday after she became my life. A few months back or maybe a year back I would have never guessed that Bella Swan would be the most important person to exist in my world and I would do anything for her happiness. If she told me to jump from the highest high rise in the world, I would gladly with a smile. Her happiness and the smile on her face meant the world to me. When Billy had first told me about imprinting, my first thought was that it was forced love, the wolf's decision in which the man had no choice but after spending time with her and letting my heart fall in love with her, I realized that she was the perfect match for not only the wolf but the man too. I needed her calmness and her optimistic attitude in life, her loyalty towards her loved ones and her fierce protectiveness. Billy had told me that the wolf could never think bad about his imprint, she was flawless in his eyes but after knowing Bella, even the human part of me felt the same.

I had completely meant when I told her that I was a lucky man that I had found someone like her in my life. My life had had a pretty shitty start to it and even today she was the only one I woke up each morning for.

Today morning I had woken up early and rushed to the Black's so that I could prepare breakfast for her. She never asked for it but I knew that small gestures made her the happiest. Her eyes would gleam with joy. After making her breakfast in bed I had left her to get dressed for school and had started my morning run. Though I was definitely glad for one thing that I had phased for the first time after my graduation or I would have to leave my studies mid way and that was not what I wanted. I wanted to at least have a diploma so that I could make a decent living for Bella and our family once all of this ended and I was free to not phase anymore. The older pack that consisted of three members namely Ephraim Black, Levi Uley and Quil Ateara the second had phased for five years before they could call it quits and go back to living their normal lives and the council had assured me the same.

The only good part of being the only wolf in my pack was that there was no one in my head and my thoughts were my own. I was always a person who needed his privacy and I don't know how I would deal with that once another person phased.

After completely my morning routine I went back to my own home to catch up on some sleep before leaving for my afternoon patrol. Generally I had two shifts a day of four hours each one in the morning and one in the evening but today I had decided to take an afternoon shift instead so that I could be free to enjoy what I had planned for my imprint.

After a few hours of sleep and a quick lunch I left for my second round of patrol. I looked at the time before leaving, Bella would still be in school and would be leaving in a while to go back to Billy's in her truck. That truck was her baby and her most precious possession. She had told me how much it meant to her and even if it was old and in a deteriorating condition she did not have the heart to change it and buy something new.

Generally patrols were peaceful and that two vampires who escaped after injuring me were the only two I had come across since I phased and became this vampire killing machine. This also had something to do with the fact that the Cullen's were our permanent neighbors. Vampires were very particular about their territory and no one entered anyone else's marked territory unless provoked or sadistic in nature and so these days my days passed just running around thinking about anything and nothing.

I had been out for an hour or so when I suddenly heard two howls one confused and one angry followed by two new voices in my head.

"What is this? Why do I have paws?" said the first one

"What did you do to me Cameron?" shouted the second voice

"I didn't do anything" said the first one "You think I know how to change into animals from humans? This is my first time too"

"Then why am I suddenly a dog?" shouted the second voice

Both of the unknown voices started bickering in my head giving me a headache.

"Silence" I said using my alpha voice for the first time "Now introduce yourself so I know who you both are"

"Jared Cameron" said the first voice

"Paul Lahote" scowled the second voice

Whew two new wolves in one day.

"I am Sam Uley. Show me where you are so that I will come to explain everything to you"

"Sam Uley?" said Jared

"Yup"

They quickly showed me their surroundings and I rushed to the place where they were. Luckily it was far away from school and nobody was around to witness three huge wolves having a discussion.

I explained to them about the legends and what had happened to them. They were shocked to say the least. The only thing stopping them from running or in Paul's case pulling my head off was my alpha order. After I finished telling them everything including imprinting in brief I asked them if they had any questions.

"So you imprinted on Swan right?" asked Paul

I nodded my wolf head

"That is why you had to leave Leah"

"Yeah" I said accidently showing them some memories of what had happened followed by memories of me and Bella in her bedroom, kissing her…

"Whoa too much information" said Paul

"Get used to it Paul. There is no privacy in this pack. What you think everyone sees"

"Damn" he scowled again

"This imprinting is some serious shit" said Jared

"It is" I said agreeing with him "You will understand when you imprint"

"Will all of us imprint?"

I shrugged my shoulders "We don't know, it is considered to be rare though"

"I don't want to imprint" said Paul "It just makes you pussy whipped. Thank you very much but I am happy with my life"

I growled at him showing him my teeth and he unknowingly took a few steps back. Good.

Because of being the Alpha I was biggest in size and the strongest. Even though Paul looked like a fighter he would lose in front of me and his wolf knew this.

"I am going to teach you how to phase back to human" "Think happy and relaxing thoughts" I said before my mind drifted to Bella and the next thing I know I am in birthday suit in front of them both. I quickly untied my cutoffs from my leg and wore them.

"Yeah actually don't try to phase back here. I don't have spare clothes with me" I said rubbing the back of my neck remembering this detail which I had clearly forgotten.

"I stay nearby so just follow me. I will give you spare cutoffs after we reach"

I walked on foot to my house with them both following behind. I did not think of phasing back again for this short a distance.

After reaching my house I went inside while they both stayed in my backyard.

I got back two pair of spare cutoffs with me and left them on the ground outside.

"I am going to be inside so once you phase back to human come inside" I said giving them both the privacy they needed.

I could see them both go in different directions.

I was sitting on my couch drinking a beer when Jared came inside twenty minutes later.

"Hey, Beer?" I said offering him one

"Thanks" "I feel drained out"

"Yeah the first time phasing is the hardest. You get used to it with time"

He nodded his head

Paul walked in forty five minutes later with a big scowl on his face.

"I am hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

"Does this look like a restaurant to you?" I asked him "There is the kitchen. Make whatever you want. You are going to be here a lot so make yourself comfortable"

Both of them nodded their heads.

Suddenly my phone rang. I took it out to see that Chief Swan was calling me.

"Hello"

"Is this Sam Uley?"

"Yes"

"Can you meet me at the station right now?"

Even though he asked it like a question I knew he was not asking and I had no choice but to comply.

"Okay"

I cut the call to see both Paul and Jared staring at me. Of course with their enhanced hearing they would have heard the conversation.

"I am going to Forks. After you finish eating go home and rest. You need to get your energy back before you start patrolling and I will be informing the council that you both have phased so there will be a meeting in the next two days"

They both nodded their heads before going back to eating. At this rate I will have to go to buy groceries more often than now.

I sat in my car and drove the way to Forks before parking it outside and going inside the station.

I knocked at the door of his office

"Come in, have a seat"

I sat opposite him. Even though Charlie Swan was just a normal human he was a very intimidating man who gave out a 'you don't mess with me' vibe and I was even more nervous because he was my imprint's father and his approval meant a lot to Bella and so by default to me.

He coughed a bit "So I called you here for a reason"

"Yes Chief"

"You want to tell me why I saw two teenage boys explode and change into Wolves followed a black wolf coming over there and after a while becoming you again"

I just stared at him with my eyes wide open. My first thought was shit he knew followed by now what?

"I can't tell you Chief" I told him. I still had the alpha order on me which Billy had given.

He sighed "Okay you can't tell me but can you answer in yes and no?"

I nodded my head. I could do that.

"Okay so first question, are the legends which I heard as a child true?"

I nodded my head "Yes"

"Is the imprinting legend true too?"

"Yes"

He sighed again "Have you imprinted on Bella? Is this the big tribal secret?"

"Yes chief"

He nodded his head and was quiet for a few minutes.

"Okay. I understand you have no control over who you imprint on"

"No Chief, the spirits decide it for us"

"Bella is going through a tough phase right now. I want you to support her and be there for her"

"Sir, she is my world. I will be there to give her whatever she needs from me"

He nodded his head "Call me Charlie son"

I smiled and nodded my head.

I spoke to Charlie for some more time before leaving for my home. It was almost five and I had a lot of preparations to do.

At sharp six I reached the Black's and waited for Bella in my car. I really hoped she liked what I had planned for her. She came out wearing a pair of tight fitting jeans and a halter neck top with a jacket on and I almost changed my plans for the evening.

As the Alpha yes the pull to her was very strong but so was the need to be with her in a sexual manner. Though I wanted us to be at stage in our relationship I was willing to wait till she was ready for it.

I was quiet the entire way lost in my own thoughts and as we entered the house I closed my eyes and wished that this would go well as I knew what was waiting for us in the living room.

"Bella" said Charlie as we walked in "I know everything"

Bella POV:

I just stood there staring at my parents unable to believe what Charlie just said.

"Wha? How?"

Did Sam break the alpha promise somehow? Or did Sue tell Charlie?

I looked at him with a question in my eyes and he took my hand in his and squeezed it once.

"Sam did not tell me anything" said Charlie "Well not directly at least"

And then they told me everything that had happened since morning with Jared and Paul phasing and Charlie seeing them as well as Sam in their wolf form and them meeting at the station and Sam asking them to come over here as a surprise to me.

"Whew what a day" I said looking at Sam

"Yeah you can say that again" he said

"Dad, are you okay with all of this?"

"Bells I only want you to be happy and if Sam makes you happy then I am happy for you both"

"Thank you dad" I said giving him a hug

"By the way Happy Birthday" "This is for you"

I opened the wrapped box to find a camera in it.

"To capture the memories of your senior year"

"Thank you so much dad"

I hugged Sue next who wished me and before whispering in my ear that I need not worry about Leah. She is fine.

After talking to them both for some time Sam and I left for dinner and whatever surprise Sam had planned for me.

I sat in his car and he drove to Port Angeles and we had dinner at Bella Italia after which he drove back to La Push but stopped at the cliffs instead.

"Sam what are we doing here?"

He took a deep breath "Close your eyes Bella"

"Why"

"Come on, just close it" he said wrapping his arms around me.

I closed my eyes and he led me ahead.

"Now open it"

I opened my eyes to see a decorated pickup truck in front of us and the backseat had cushions and blankets lying in them making a very comfy bed.

"Sam" I looked at him with awe in my eyes

"Happy birthday Bella, it is a beautiful night and perfect for stargazing"

"I love you"

"I love you too" he said before his lips were on mine.

We laid down in the backseat of the pickup truck as we observed stars and talked about random topics.

At the end of the night I was sure of one thing. This had been my best birthday till date.


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you GomezAddams1, sarae32, MageVicky, MammaNita4, hstevens08161, Taylor9901, .7334, Beuty6, catgrl, jswilliams131314, YankeeGirlNJ, brankel1 and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

Chapter 13-

'The strength of the Pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.'

\- Rudyard Kipling

After my eighteenth birthday things settled down a bit in my life. It had been a month since then and a lot had changed in our lives. The day after my birthday Charlie called me to meet him at the station and asked me to move back home. Now that he knew the reason of why Sam and I had fallen in love so suddenly he no longer held any hostility towards our relationship and wished that I would go back home but I had refused saying that my moving out was for the better. Leah needed time and being around me and Sam would never let her move on in life and even I wanted to move ahead in life and this was a new beginning for me. So currently I was still living with the Black's at their home though I was now actively searching for another house which I could rent. With my salary of working at Dowling's and a bit of my savings I would be able to manage the rent. When Sam came to know of my plans he asked me to move in with him but I had told him that it was too early for that stage in our life. We had hardly been together for two months and I did not want to hurry up. Moving in together was sure in the near future but not today. Also I wanted to experience the freedom of living alone before I permanently moved in with him.

In the pack also a few things had changed. After the phasing of Jared and Paul in mid September, Embry Call had phased fifteen days later out of the blue and his phasing had brought a lot of drama and discussions within the council. His mother was Makah and no one knew who his father was and so everyone had always assumed that his father was Makah too making his phasing a complete shocker. This also brought a lot of tension in Sam's life as his father was one of the few who could be Embry's father too. The other two who could have been his father were Billy Black and Quil Ateara the second and all three had been married at that time. Billy had refused the claim saying that Embry was not his leaving Joshua Uley and Quil the second though everyone had their doubts that Embry was actually an Uley and things between Sam and Embry had turned awkward with the sudden realization that they could indeed be half brothers.

With all this tension going on Embry and Sam could not see face to face and even during pack meetings avoided talking to one another unless necessary. Jared Cameron the Beta of this pack had imprinted on Kimberly Conweller at the beach, a week after he phased for the first time. She was in the same year as Jared and was a very sweet girl. Jared had told her about the legends and him imprinting on her a few days later and she had taken it all in stride making us now two imprints in the knowing. If Sam and Embry were having problems in being around one another so were Paul and Jared. Paul and Jared did not get along very well and being in one another's head was driving them crazy and so as the last resort Sam always ran patrols with Jared and Paul with Embry. And the council was fuming that there was no unity in this pack.

Today was Sunday and I was sitting on the couch in the living room of Sam's house reading through a magazine. Every Sunday Sam and I had brunch together and so I was waiting for him to come back from his morning Patrol.

I looked up as he entered the room immediately noticing the stress marks on his face.

"Hey" I said

"Hey" he replied before lying down on the couch next to me with his head in my lap. I started massaging his temples as he closed his eyes. Sometimes I hated that he had so much responsibility on him.

"Long day"

He nodded his head "Frustrated. Jared and Paul fought again today on something extremely silly and the elders are at my throat that there is no unity in the pack. I don't know what to do. We can't face a vampire like this. We need to be a united front to kill a vampire. Also the fact that if they try hard they can ignore an alpha command"

This was another problem that had come our way. Jared, Paul and Embry wolves did not see Sam as their alpha as Jacob was supposed to be the true alpha. Their wolves accepted his alpha command but if they tried hard to ignore it they were successful in doing so and more importantly due to the lack of having a true alpha in the pack, their wolves behaved like forlorn lone wolves and this was in turn affecting Sam.

I nodded my head and lightly kissed his forehead "Everything will be okay"

"How" he said with a sigh

I was quiet for a few minutes "Pack bonding"

"What?"

"Pack bonding exercises. Maybe if your wolves spend more time together they will start seeing each other as pack."

"Bella, we already spend hours together patrolling" he said sighing

I rolled my eyes "That is different. That is work, pack bonding will be more like fun activities for your wolves"

"Do you know how insane you sound right now?" he chuckled kissing me lightly

"Hey" I protested "Often insane ideas are the ones that work. Your human counterparts have accepted each other's presence in life it is time your wolves do so too and corporate companies often keep such team building activities to build relationships between their employees. We can try it too"

He looked at me like I was crazy before he started laughing "Oh god I love you"

"Sam, stop laughing at me. Look I know the idea is absolutely crazy but you are not normal wolves, till Jacob does not phase and take over the alpha position maybe your wolves can try to be friends if not as bonded as they would have been with their true alpha in their pack."

He was quiet for a few minutes before he sighed "If the council agrees I am in. At this point I will try anything.

"I have a feeling this will work"

He nodded his head. Yes the idea was crazy but most of the miracles that have occurred have started with a crazy idea.

"Come on now let's eat something. I am hungry" I told him as he picked me up in his arms and took me to the dining table as I cuddled to him closer.

The next day after work I decided to put my idea in front of Billy. I was not willing to talk to any of the other council members till Billy agreed to this. I had messaged Kim also so that she could be there for this impromptu meeting. She was the Beta's imprint and so just like me who was the current alpha's imprint, she had a say in these matters.

Billy, Sarah, Jake and Kim stared at me for a few minutes when I was done talking.

"Damn I wish I could phase faster" said Jake hitting his hand on the couch

"Jacob, you cannot mess with destiny. You will phase when you are destined to do so" said Billy

"What if I go and spend time around those leech Cullen's?" asked Jacob and Billy gave him a stern look

"Bella, I really don't know what to tell you. The idea is sure unique but so is the entire situation. In the last pack Ephraim Black was the first one to phase so they never faced such a problem" said Billy

I nodded my head

"I agree with Bella" said Sarah "They are not normal wolves by any angle and even if there is a one percent chance that this will help them come out of their lone wolf phase we should give it a try"

Kim nodded her head

Billy was quiet for a few minutes before he sighed loudly "Okay I give my permission as the chief"

I gave him a big smile

"What do you have in mind?" asked Sarah

"As of now nothing" I told them "I will come up with something in the next few days"

They nodded their heads

"I am just worried what will happen if they come across a vampire" said Billy "The pack needs to be united to take one down"

"And that is why we need to hurry" I told him "Honestly patrolling is the most boring work to do. How can you even expect their wolves to bond doing something like this?"

Billy gave me a small laugh "You make a fine alpha's imprint"

I blushed

"Can I help?" asked Kim shyly. She was an introvert who rarely spoke in public and Jared had told me how scared she had been to come and meet us all for the first time. It did not help that Sam, Paul, Jared and Embry now had the reputation of being cult members and were slightly feared by everyone around though I had just been elated to have another girl in my mismatched pack family. Paul ran away from even the topic of imprinting making a disgusting face and sweet little Embry thought that he was too young to meet his soul mate though he did want to meet her.

"Of course" I told her with a smile "I was counting on it"

After talking for some more time the both of us left to go to Sam's house. Sam's house had become like the pack house and mostly always everyone was there. After phasing for the first time all three of them had to stay in Sam's guest rooms for a few days so that they did not accidently harm someone. Jared's father was on the council and so his parents were already aware of the legends being true and he did not need to hide this from them but Paul and Embry's mother knew nothing and Embry was often grounded for leaving the house at odd hours and not returning till morning. Tiffany Call had a strong suspicion that Embry was on steroids but despite him refusing this, the tension in their house had not lessened and as expected the council had told him that he could not tell her anything.

I had taken to cooking for these bottomless always hungry pits and Sam's kitchen was now one of my frequented spots. Also it helped calm some of the anxiety I faced every time Sam went out to patrol. Though subconsciously I knew that there had been no new vampire sightings I was always scared that he would come back to me injured. Kim had asked me this the first time we both had been alone, that how I dealt with this fear that my boyfriend would not return and I had smiled and told her that I had full confidence in my wolf. He would return for me and I had to show this confidence in him so that he would not fall weak.

"Hey you okay?" asked Kim bringing me back to the present

I nodded my head "Was just thinking"

"I wanted to talk to you about something" she said hesitantly

I nodded my head telling her to continue

"How do you deal with the rumors that come with being the girlfriend of one of the cult members? I mean I have just started dating Jared and already there are jealous girls spreading rumors about me and don't even get me started on the rumors floating around about these boys. Luckily my parents don't believe in all of this or I would have had a hard time convincing them to let me date Jared"

I nodded my head "You just get used to it"

And in a way I was used to the looks that came my way these days for everything, from being with my sister's ex boyfriend to moving out of my house and living at Billy's to being the only woman in a 'steroid induced cult' of four boys (before Kim was in the knowing).

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable but…" she said hesitantly

I gave her a small smile and she continued "I heard about the Bella-Sam-Leah triangle"

I sighed "Yeah he imprinted on me. It was rough in the beginning but now it is okay"

She gave me a smile "and Leah?" Even in this short while that I had known Kim I knew that she was genuinely worried about Leah and just was not asking this gossip purposes.

I reciprocated her smile "She is doing well. I spoke to mom last night. Though she still hates us both she is trying to move on and even went out on a date two days back"

Her smile widened "That is good"

"Yeah" I said agreeing with her

We walked into the door of Sam's house and saw them all sitting in the living room watching TV.

"Hey" said Sam coming and hugging me as I entered.

I hugged him back and connected my lips to his. He passionately kissed me back and I wrapped my hands in his hair. How was he such a good kisser I had no idea but kissing him was slowly becoming my favorite activity in the world.

"Whoa" said Paul making fake gagging noises "Get a room guys"

We pulled apart from one another and I gave Paul a dirty look. I saw that Jared and Kim were in a similar position. Embry was just chuckling from his place on the couch.

"You will understand the day you imprint Paul" said Sam

"Please I have no desire to be as pussy whipped as you both. I am happy with my ladies and I am never going to imprint" he said with absolute surety.

"Paul, I can bet on this" I said sitting opposite him "You will get a no nonsense imprint who will keep you on your toes"

He laughed "In your dreams Swan"

"Wait for it Lahote" I told him as I made my way to the kitchen and Kim followed a few minutes later.

I started making a bunch of sandwiches for them before starting to prepare dinner. As there were no vampire sightings the patrols conducted were less giving the boy's free time and today were one such night when none of them had to patrol.

Dinner flowed with easy conversation and friendly banter. In a really short time these people had become like a family to me and I was glad for it.

The next few days were spent in preparation for the weekend activities that I had planned. Kim and I had brainstormed for hours and by the second day, Jacob had joined our planning team and was now an equal participant in our discussions. It was such a contrast from the Jacob of the early days who wanted nothing to do with being a shape shifter. This Jacob was enthusiastic and was waiting for the opportunity that was going to come his way. Even though he was just sixteen he had formulated plans and was excited to put them in place.

Finally the day I had been waiting for arrived, Saturday the day that I had planned the pack bonding activities. We were going to assemble in a clearing a little way from La Push and the only people who were going to be there were me, Kim and Jacob apart from the pack.

"You ready to go?" asked Sam. We both were the only ones still here. The others had already left Jared carrying Kim on his wolf back and Jacob hitchhiking with Embry.

I nodded my head and he went behind a tree to phase coming back out in his wolf form reminding me of Kuro and those past days. How much time had he spent with me being in this form?

He came closer to me and I ran a hand through his soft fur making him purr in delight.

"I missed you" I whispered to him and his purring increased.

He signaled me to sit on his wolf back and I complied.

"Sam go slow okay" I told him before he started running through the woods making cold wind blow in my face. I tugged at his fur tighter hoping that I was not hurting him.

"I am not hurting you right?"

He shook his head and continued running.

Soon we reached the clearing where the rest of them were waiting for us.

I got off Sam's back and he ran to phase back and came out again in his human form wrapping his arms around me.

"Swan I think this is an absolutely ridiculous idea" said Paul

"Listen to the prize Paul before completely discarding my idea"

"What prize?" asked Embry

"The winner of these tasks gets a week of patrolling and a fully sponsored dinner for two at an all-you-can-eat restaurant in Port Angeles. Still want to say no?" I said smirking. I almost had them when I said a week off patrolling but the free dinner just confirmed their decision.

"I am in" said Paul

Sam looked at me as if questioning on how I decided on the free from patrolling part of the deal.

"I took permission from Billy" I said "Sorry wanted it to be a surprise for you too"

He shrugged giving me a smile

"Even I am in" said Jared and Embry nodded his head.

"Sam" I looked at him waiting for his answer.

He sighed and nodded his head.

"Great then let's begin" I said albeit a bit too cheerfully

All of them went to phase and came back in their wolf forms. Jake, Kim and I had decided that this was a sort of training for them as well and all of our tasks were also checking their abilities.

"Okay so the first round is of speed" said Kim "The winner will be the fastest wolf who reaches our marked line first"

"Can you see the end point?" I asked them pointing towards a line drawn at a distance.

They nodded their heads.

"On your mark, get set, go" I shouted and all four of them started running

Jake was already waiting at the end point to see who comes first and after a few seconds of wait we had our results.

Embry had come first, Paul was second, Jared was third and Sam was fourth.

Embry looked joyful and Paul, Jared and Sam looked pissed.

"The next round is on strength" I said "You will fight one another and the winners will then fight to find who the ultimate winner is"

"First is Jared Vs Embry" I said and both of them came out and started circling one another. In a few short seconds the game was over and Jared had won. Next was Sam Vs Paul. That took a while and till the end we could not guess who was going to win but in the end Sam won. The last round was Jared Vs Sam and Sam ended up winning.

"Okay the last game is the most important and whoever wins this gets double points" said Jake and all of them looked at us with curiosity.

"It is a treasure hunt with a twist" I said with a smile

I explained to them that this was going to test their scenting ability and they would be working in pairs for this. Jared and Paul Vs Sam and Embry and the pairings were not negotiable to change. In the entire surrounding woods 12 pieces of cloth had been hidden. Out of which three had my scent on them, three had Kim's, three had Tiffany Call's and three had Amy Lahote's. Paul and Jared had to scent out Kim and Amy's scent and get those pieces of cloth back here and Sam and Embry had to find mine and Tiffany's. The winning pair was the one who collected and brought back the six pieces of correct scent the fastest.

"On your mark, get set, go" said Jake and all four of them ran into the woods while we waited there for them.

We placed bets on who was going to win and finally after a long wait of forty five minutes our triumph pair made its way out of the woods.

The scents were correct and they had brought the correct pieces of cloth as we had marked them with a particular color and so the results were clear.

Paul and Jared had won this round.

Sam and Embry followed them a few minutes later both scowling.

"Phase back, all of you" I told them and waited for them to come out again.

"So we won right?" asked Paul

I nodded my head

"Who is the ultimate winner?" asked Jared

"Well because both of you are on equal points losing the first two games, both of you win" I said

"So both of us are off patrolling for a week?" asked Jared cheerfully

I nodded my head "Yup that was the deal"

"And what about the free dinner?" asked Paul

"Both of you get to take one-one person with you"

Paul came and gave me a tight hug "I love you Swan"

Sam growled at him removing me from Paul's grasp.

"Hands off my woman Lahote"

Paul laughed and I rolled my eyes kissing Sam once.

"So are we done with today's activities?" asked Embry

"Yup" I said

"I actually enjoyed" said Jared and all of them agreed with him

Sam came and wrapped his arms around me pulling me to his chest.

"I think your plan worked" he whispered in my ears "I feel closer to their wolves"

I gave him a smile "I am glad if it did"

"I love you, you know that?" he said and I nodded my head

"I do and I love you too" I said as we just gazed into one another's eyes for the next few minutes.


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you Taylor9901, MammaNita4, MageVicky, jswilliams131314, YankeeGirlNJ, .7334, brankel1 and catgrl for your reviews.

Chapter 14-

"Hello everybody" said a cheerful voice from the doorstep and we all turned to look at it from the dining table we had been sitting at.

It had been three weeks since our pack bonding session and life had gone back to normal. And according to Sam their wolves were much more considerate of one another though he had said that things would become much better once Jake phased and took his rightful place as the Alpha and so as of now almost everyone was waiting for Jacob to phase but other than the early signs there was no other indication that he would soon phase.

"Rachel" shouted Sarah running to hug her

"Mom, I missed you" said Rachel laughing and hugging her back

"Rach" Jake and I said at the same time and ran to her while Billy followed us

Rachel Black had been one of my best friends and sort of older sister growing up and while I was closer to her, Leah had been closer to her twin Rebecca. I had been heartbroken when Rachel had left last year to go to Seattle for college and apart from the occasional phone calls and once in a few months visit I had not spoken to her much since she left.

"Rachel" said Billy wheeling to where she was standing, with a huge smile on his face

"Dad" she said giving him a hug

"How are you and not that I am not happy, but how come you are here?" asked Billy looking slightly worried. Rachel being here was definitely a surprise as she rarely ever came to visit and that was also not without Sarah calling her up and nearly forcing her to come home once in a while.

"I am good dad and I just decided to drop by for the weekend" she said though I could hear the nervousness in her voice as if she was hiding something

"Why didn't you tell me in advance?" said Sarah with a slight pout

"I wanted to surprise you" she said giggling

"Jake" she said coming and hugging him "What are they feeding you? You look so different from the last time I saw you"

He just shrugged

"Bells" she said coming to where I was standing "I was just going to give you a call. We have so much to catch up on"

I nodded my head "Yeah we do have"

"Rachel, Bella's currently staying in your old room. Will you be okay with sharing for tonight?" asked Billy looking at her.

"That's not a problem Billy. I will stay the night at Sam's" I said before I realized what I had just blabbered.

"Wait a minute" said Rachel raising her eyebrows "Sam Uley, Leah's boyfriend? Why would you stay the night at his place instead of going home?"

I just stared at her for a few minutes not knowing how to tell her this. I was just glad that she had not known of this through the grapevine and I actually had a chance to explain it to her before she started judging me like everyone else.

"Bella and Sam are dating" said Jake with a firm expression on his face

Way to break it to her Jacob Black!

"What" shouted Rachel looking at me "When? How"

I sighed "Come on, we need to talk"

"We sure do" she said glaring at me

I shook my head "Not here. Follow me"

I left the room before anyone could say anything else and walked to my truck which had been parked outside. When I was sure that Rachel was following I sat in my truck and waited for her to get in.

Both of us were silent throughout the entire short distance to Forks and I parked my truck outside the Forks diner.

We entered and sat on one of the empty booths and ordered our food before she decided to break the silence.

"So now spill"

I took a deep breath and repeated the cover story we had decided on "After Sam and Leah's breakup, Sam and I got to know one another and fell in love and now we are dating"

"Whoa" "They broke up? Why?"

I shrugged "Don't know. They drifted apart"

She nodded her head "Okay this is too much to comprehend in one go" "Does Leah Know about you both?"

I nodded my head and told her what had happened since the past few months skipping over the fact that he was a shape shifter who had imprinted on me.

"So that is why you are currently staying at my house instead of yours?"

I nodded my head

"Okay. Wow, I don't know what to say ahead"

"Rachel, please don't judge me for this" I whispered

She shook her head "I am not judging you Bells. It is just unexpected"

I nodded my head "Yeah it is unexpected"

"So you and Sam huh?" she said with a smirk "Is it serious or…?"

"Yup, as serious as can be"

"Wow, I need details girl" she said giving me a teasing smile making me blush

We spoke for some more time about me and Sam and I told her about our first date and what all he had done for me on my birthday while she just listened whispering ooh and aah.

"Sounds like you are in love" she said when I finished

"Yup I am" I said with a genuine smile

She reciprocated my smile "I am happy for you"

I whispered a thank you.

"So now your turn" I said

She looked confused "What about me? You know I am single"

I shook my head "Why are you here in La Push for a visit and don't tell me you wanted to surprise us because I know that was not the only reason"

She sighed "You won't stop till I don't tell you the truth now, will you?"

I shook my head

She was quiet for a few minutes as if framing the sentence in her mind.

"I left school" she whispered

"What?" I shouted before realizing our surroundings and reducing my volume "What? Why"

"I could not cope up. It was too stressful juggling work and studies and I was not sure if I wanted this from life any longer. I felt like my life was heading nowhere."

I nodded my head after a few minutes "Do Billy and Sarah know?"

She sighed "No I was going to tell them tonight or tomorrow. Dad is going to be so disappointed. He was so happy with my admission. I was the first person to go to college from the family" she said taking her head in her hands.

"Hey it is okay, talk to them, they will understand" I said consoling her

She nodded her head

"So now what plans ahead? Are you going to be staying in La Push or are you going back?"

"I don't know. As of now I am staying here but I don't want to stay with mom, dad and Jake. I was thinking of staying separately, maybe renting a place."

I nodded my head before a sudden idea made its way in my head "Rachel, how would you like to be my roommate?"

When she did not interrupt I continued with my idea "I was talking to Joy Ateara the other day and she told me that the apartment which she owns behind the Ateara general store is empty and she wants to rent it out. It is a three room one bath apartment so if you want…"

"Yes" she said even before I could complete my sentence

I gave her a huge grin which she reciprocated. Rachel Black, one of my oldest friends was now going to be my roommate too and I couldn't be more elated.

After talking for some more time and discussing the plans for our new apartment we made our way back to La Push.

In the evening I decided to go to Sam's house to give the Black's the privacy they would need as a family to talk. I packed an overnight bag with me so that I could spend the night there. I was a bit nervous as well as excited. This would be the first time I would be spending an entire night with him and the anticipation of what was probably going to happen was killing me. I was ready though for this step in our relationship and Sam had assured me that when we took this step would be my decision. I showered, shaved my legs and got dressed for tonight looking as casual as I could. I did not want to overdo it.

The entire way from the Black's house to his cottage near the woods was spent with my anxiousness. I resisted the urge to bite my nails though I could not stop my leg from shaking. Part of me knew that I was being ridiculous. This was Sam, the man I loved and trusted more than anyone and it was not like we had not done anything before. I was just being stupid and even if we didn't actually do it tonight the thought of just being with him, seeing his face last before I sleep and first when I wake up was enough to bring a smile on my face.

He was standing at the porch when I arrived and I parked my truck before jumping into his open arms.

"Hey" he said

"Hey you"

He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me inside the house with him. The entire house looked different and cleaned and I was surprised when none of the pack members were inside because they were always in here.

"Yeah none of them will be coming over tonight" he said when he saw my confused expression

I nodded my head and slightly blushed.

"So, are you hungry? I have cooked us dinner" he said changing the subject and I readily nodded my head.

He had prepared Steak for dinner and I helped him set up the table sitting opposite one another when it was set. As always I was in awe of his cooking skills and dinner was filled with small talk and awkward sexual tension. Seeing nervous Sam was a completely new experience as he was always so confident in his own skin but I could clearly see the anticipation on his face.

After dinner and tidying the kitchen and dining table, working together, the both of us sat on the couch to watch TV though neither of us was actually watching TV and we were just shuttling through channels. I was playing with his big hands cuddling close to him when suddenly a howl pierced through the air.

The both of us sighed simultaneously knowing what was coming next.

"I need to check that out. I will be back in ten minutes" he said

I nodded my head and he gave me a kiss on the forehead before running out.

I shut the TV off before going to his bedroom. I did not know how long or short he would take but I could do nothing but wait for him to come back.

I decided to take a hot shower to soothe my nerves and entered the bathroom that was attached to his room leaving my change of clothes outside on the bed.

After a relaxing shower that made me feel a little better I wrapped the spare towel that had been kept in the bathroom, around my torso and walked out of the bathroom.

"Bella" said a voice and I turned back to look at Sam standing in the doorway wearing just a pair of cutoffs. His bare chest was glistening with sweat and I could see the desire and hunger in his eyes on seeing me just in a small towel that was barely covering anything. He walked towards me like a predator walks towards their prey not moving his eyes from mine for even a millisecond. I could feel the goose bumps on my skin.

"Bella" he repeated my name saying in a seductive voice and I closed my eyes. He started trailing kisses down my neck, sucking and biting making me moan with want. The look in his eyes and the desire and want in it made me grow moist between my legs.

"Bella baby, tell me if you want me to stop. I won't be able to stop if we go any further" he said still sucking on my tender skin and I hastily shook my head

"Don't stop" I managed to speak out

He attacked my lips passionately the next second pushing me towards the wall as I wrapped my arms in his soft hair.

"Sam, I am not on the pill. Do you have a condom?"

He nodded his head once before going back to kissing me and pleasuring me in ways I had never known of before.

The towel that was covering me soon fell on the floor and so did his cutoffs as we moaned in ecstasy becoming complete in our hearts.

X-X-X-

The next two weeks passed by quickly. Billy and Sarah had taken Rachel's news better than she had expected them to and as of now Rachel was staying in La Push till she decided where her interests lied. The both of us had met Joy Ateara a few times to discuss about the apartment and after completing the basic formalities like signing the lease and paying the security deposit, the apartment was now ours to stay in. Sam and Jacob helped us in moving the boxes, with their inhuman strength and in painting the walls, I was taking some stuff from my old room and so was Rachel.

Today was our housewarming party and the both of us were very excited. This was my first home and it was a new beginning for me and I had a feeling I would be making many new memories.

I had decorated my new room exactly how it had been when I lived with Charlie and Sue and they both were coming over tomorrow with Billy and Sarah for dinner. Today was just Sam, Jacob, Jared, Kim, Paul and Embry. It was very difficult to hide the secret about the pack from Rachel and there had been a few close calls but she had not figured it out yet. As of now she had only met Sam from the current wolves and Kim from the imprints, apart from me. Kim and Rachel had also become close friends and Kim had accompanied us both a few times for lunch in these past two weeks.

After getting dressed and preparing dinner for tonight I was in the living room when the doorbell rang and I ran to open it. Rachel was still in her room getting ready.

I opened it to see Sam standing there with a smile on his face and I pulled him in. After showing him the entire apartment, now decorated, I took him to my room.

"It looks just like your old room"

I nodded my head

"It looks good, I like it" he said and I gave him a peck on the lips

"So Miss Swan" he said giving me a teasing smirk "When do you want to christen this bed?"

I blushed crimson

He wrapped his arms around my torso pulling me close to him, kissing me on my forehead down to my lips, chin and neck teasing me as his hands were running on my skin.

"Sam" I managed to speak out "We need to stop. They will be here in a few minutes"

A hmm was the only response I got from him. Sam's touch was like magic and I could lose myself in him. I thought that after our first time the need to be near him would lessen but to my pleasant surprise, it had only increased and if he was near, I just had to touch him, I could not keep my hands of him and I knew that he felt the same about me.

"Hey, you lovebirds" said a voice from behind, making us stop "You might want to stop, we have a party to begin"

"Rachel" said Sam in an annoyed voice as I blushed

"Come on, let's go outside" I said taking his hand in mine as we left the room, after Rachel

Soon Jake arrived, followed by Jared, Kim and Paul. I felt a bit bad for Rachel as all of her school friends of when she lived here, had now left for college or relocated. She got along well with Jared, Kim and Paul though as easy conversation flowed.

Embry who had run a quick patrol soon arrived.

"Hey Rach" said Jake "You remember my friend Embry?"

Rachel nodded her head and smiled looking at Embry who was staring at her with his mouth open and eyes wide.

"Imprint" whispered Sam in my ear as all of us stared at the new imprinted couple in the room.

"No, you didn't" shouted Jacob shaking

"Jacob, calm down" said Sam pushing me slightly behind him. I saw Jared do the same with Kim and Embry with Rachel.

"This can't be happening. She is my sister dammit"

"Jake, you know we can't control this" said Embry trying to calm him down

Jake was shaking even more than before now. His entire body was convulsing.

"Paul, Jared, we need to take him out now. Embry stay with the girls" said Sam before going towards Jacob and pulling his arms, pushing him out of the apartment.

"What is going on?" shouted Rachel

Before any of us could answer her she started walking towards the door following the boys out.

"Rachel stop" said Embry going and standing in front of her

"What happened to my brother? Why was he shaking like this?"

"Rachel, calm down" I said "He is okay"

"No he isn't. That was not normal behavior" "I need to check on him" she said before running out of the house.

The three of us followed her out still trying to stop her. As we reached the backyard, Jacob burst out of his skin, and in his place was a russet colored huge wolf. I guess Embry imprinting on Rachel was what was needed to push him over the edge and finally phase.

"Wha?" whispered Rachel as I went and stood next to her.

"Wolf?" she questioned looking at me and I nodded my head

"The legends are true" said Embry coming to stand next to her, looking at her worriedly

Rachel nodded her head before closing her eyes and fainting.


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you Taylor9901, YankeeGirlNJ, Catgrl, MageVicky, Beuty6, .7334, MammaNita4, brankel1, sarae32, paulwolfgirl26, Cokey90 and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

Guest: Yes, in the books Paul imprinted on Rachel but I changed it because I have plans for Paul's imprinting and I need her to be an OC.

Thanks to everyone who liked Embry imprinting on Rachel.

Chapter 15-

I would have laughed looking at the sight in front of me if we weren't in such a serious situation. Jacob and Embry were fighting in their wolf form like overgrown dogs nipping and biting at one another and Jake had almost ripped Embry a new one a few times by now. Sam was trying to make them stop but his alpha command was falling on deaf ears and Paul was laughing loudly looking at their ridiculously childish antics. The only person who was calm and tending to the girl who had fainted a few seconds ago apart from me, were Jared and Kim who were trying to get her back to consciousness.

It must have just been a few minutes since Jacob had phased for the first time after observing the newest imprint of this pack and had shocked Rachel enough to make her faint but it surely felt like hours and everything had gone haywire since.

"Will you both cut it out?" I shouted looking at Embry and Jacob. Sometimes it was easy to forget that they were just two sixteen year olds despite of their accelerated physical and mental growth.

"We have more important things to tend to" I said pointing at Rachel who was still unconscious.

Both of them looked at me sheepishly temporarily stopping their fight before Embry ran behind a tree and came out in his human form running to where we were sitting on the floor.

"Shit, I am so sorry" he groaned taking his head in his hands "Rachel sweetheart" he said in the gentlest tone I had ever heard him use.

Jake growled loudly and took a step ahead towards Embry, his crouch in an attacking position.

"Jacob, he has imprinted on her, you know you cannot interfere with that" said Sam standing in front of where Embry was now sitting.

Jake whined loudly

"Go cool your anger off" said Sam "Jared, go with him. Help him in phasing back"

Jacob nodded his head before running towards the woods and Jared quickly phased and followed him.

"Why isn't she waking up?" whispered Embry helplessly

Almost as if Rachel had heard his voice and decided to respond, her eyes fluttered open and she nervously looked around her at all of us.

"Rach are you okay?" I asked her

She nodded her head and signaled for water and Kim quickly ran inside to get her a glass of water.

After taking a few sips and a few deep breaths, she tried to get up from her lying down position.

"What happened to me?"

"You fainted" replied Embry

She nodded her head slowly and was quiet for a few minutes

"Oh Bella, I saw such a terrible dream. It was so unrealistically horrific" she said widening her eyes and looking at me.

So she assumed it was all a dream. All of us looked at one another deciding who was going to tell her that it was in fact not a dream.

"Rachel" said Sam rubbing the back of his neck "Yeah it was not a dream"

"What?" she said disbelievingly

"The legends of the spirit warriors and the cold ones are true. Jake just phased into a shape shifter for the first time today" I said

She just stared at me as if questioning my sanity.

"Perhaps we can take this discussion inside" said Sam and all of us followed him inside the house sitting on the sofas in the living room.

"So my little brother just morphed into a wolf and is now roaming around these woods?" she asked

Sam nodded his head. Embry was just staring at Rachel gauging her reaction.

"We call it phasing actually" said Paul grinning at her. He was enjoying this situation way too much.

"But, But spirit warriors only come into existence when there are vampires" she said almost stuttering, her eyes widened in shock now.

"Yes a coven of seven live in Forks" said Sam

"What" she shouted getting up from her seat on the sofa and pacing the living room floor muttering to herself.

"Rachel, calm down. We have a treaty with them" said Sam quickly explaining to her the treaty between the pack and the Cullen's.

"So are all of you…?"

"Sam phased first, followed by Jared and Paul who was followed by Embry and now lastly Jake" I said

She nodded her head taking in all the information

"Shit, do mom and dad know that Jacob phased?"

"Billy is on the tribal council. Both of them knew that he was close to phasing but they will be officially told after this" said Sam

She nodded her head again "There is more right? I can sense it"

All of us looked at Embry. Telling the imprint about the imprinting was the wolf's duty.

He took a deep breath and nervously began talking "Rachel, there is a thing that we wolves do. We call it imprinting. It is like a gift actually. So what happens exactly is that we see a girl and boom she becomes our life. It is basically like magic" he sighed loudly "God, I am explaining this all wrong"

Rachel looked even more confused than before now "Imprinting like ducks do?"

Paul was now full out laughing not even bothering to hide it. I glared at him and hit him on the hand whispering that he would understand the jitters Embry was feeling when he was having this discussion with his imprint. He rolled his eyes in return.

"No like wolves do" said Embry

I sighed and took pity on Embry "Rachel, I am Sam's imprint and Kim is Jared"

"But you guys are dating?"

I nodded my head "Yes imprinting is basically the spirits way of telling the shape shifter who their soul mate is. When their eyes meet after the first time they phase, they imprint on the girl and she becomes their reason for existence, no one else matters. They just want her to be safe, happy and cared for"

"Okay" she drawled out "So how do I come in the picture?"

"I imprinted on you" said Embry looking into her eyes

She stared at him for a few minutes "Soul mates?" she whispered

He nodded his head frantically

"I need some fresh air. Don't follow me" she said before running out of the house

Embry stood up and was about to run out after her when Sam stopped him by placing his hand on Embry's shoulder.

"Give her some time to think about all of this"

He reluctantly nodded his head

"Paul, it is your turn to patrol and let me know if Jacob has phased back" said Sam "Embry, go home and get some rest"

"I guess even I will leave now" said Kim after Paul and Embry had left the house.

I nodded my head and she soon left the house leaving only me and Sam behind.

"C'mere" he said pulling me in his arms and hiding his face in my hair.

"I am worried about Embry and Rachel. She can be quite stubborn when she wants to" I told him as he ran his hands through my hair

"It will work out. No wolf imprints on a girl who is unachievable. They will be together in the end"

I nodded my head. It made sense. Also it gave me hope that if Sam and I can be together and can reach this point after everything we had to go through, Embry and Rachel will reach there too.

"You want me to help you in clearing all of this?" he said pointing at the mess that the house was in. Our housewarming party had been disrupted mid way by the sudden imprint and phasing.

I nodded my head and we started cleaning the house talking to one another about anything and everything.

After we were done we sat on the couch and saw a movie eating the Pizza that we had ordered. I felt my eyes closing from exhaustion and I soon dozed off with my head on his shoulder.

"Bella" I heard a soft voice say my name. I opened my eyes slowly. Sam had picked me up bridal style and was carrying me towards my room.

"You fell asleep" he said

I nodded my head "Is Rachel back?"

He shook his head "Don't worry she will come back when she is ready to talk. She needs time to process all of this"

I nodded my head as he laid me down on the bed.

"Do you have to patrol?"

"Yes, I will go and release Paul"

I nodded my head "I will talk to you tomorrow"

He kissed me on the forehead before leaving the room and I soon fell asleep again.

It must have just been a few minutes since I fell asleep when I felt someone nudge me to wake up. I groaned and opened my eyes. Rachel was sitting on my bed, her eyes clearly tearstained.

"I needed to talk to someone" she whispered "And you were the only person I could think of who would understand.

I nodded my head and sat up on the bed switching the room lights on "How are you taking all of this?"

"I don't know" "I am confused. I have suddenly been pushed into an unfamiliar world. Everything I once thought was just a myth is true, vampires exist and so do werewolves. What's next Bigfoot, Santa or Easter bunny? My brother, my baby brother morphs into a wolf in front of my eyes. This is weirder than fiction and a boy who I barely spoke to when I lived here now claims to be my soul mate and I am the reason for his existence. How fucked up is that? Seriously my life back in Seattle was way boring compared to this"

"Rachel, I know, this takes some time getting used to but you know they are still the same person they were before they phased. He is still your brother"

"And imprinting is difficult to understand" I continued "But it is not bad"

"Is that why Sam dumped Leah?"

I nodded my head "Yeah, he imprinted on me. Quite unexpected really"

She shook her head "No I think you both were always meant to be. I can see it when the both of you are together that sooner or later you would have found one another"

I nodded my head "Embry is a nice person and he genuinely cares about you"

"He is sixteen Bella, my brother's age. I am nineteen almost twenty"

"When they phase, not only do they physically look older but their mental capabilities are also higher than usual. Sam looks like a twenty five year old when he is only nineteen in reality so Embry may be sixteen but he has the body and maturity of a twenty year old"

"Okay assuming I ignore the age fact, I am not ready for a relationship. My last relationship was not all roses you know. He cheated on me and I don't want to jump into something unprepared and I hardly know Embry. He was just my younger brother's friend who I saw sometimes"

"Rachel, no one is telling you to start dating him if you are not ready for it. I took my time with Sam and so did Kim with Jared. For the wolves it is instinctual to a point but for us, it is just like normal humans falling in love. Take your time, get to know him and then decide. All I am saying is don't cut him out completely. That is very painful for their wolves" I said wincing when I remembered how much pain Sam had been in.

She nodded her head "So what just be his friend for now?"

"Yeah, Embry will be whatever you want him to be. If you need a friend that is what he will be, he just wants you to be happy"

"So imprinting is basically what the girl wants?" she asked

"There are different theories on why imprinting occurs, some say it is for the purpose of procreation and to make stronger wolves while some say it is to make the shape shifter stronger and more complete. Personally I believe in the second one. Just like them our purpose is also to keep them happy and love them giving them the confidence and strength that they can go out there and fulfill their duty."

"Is it difficult to kill a vampire?"

"It is, they are built like marble and are strong" I said shuddering "But the wolves are trained for this and they know what they are doing"

She looked terrified and I quickly reassured her "That is why they kill in a pack. They look after one another"

She nodded her head

"So what is it like to be an imprint?" she asked me crossing her legs and sitting on the bed "You were the first one right?"

"Yup, it is mostly like any other normal relationship. Just it is more serious in nature and there is more dedication and adoration from their side and because Sam and I were the first ones, we had no one to guide us. We had to learn everything on our own"

"But you are happy right?"

I smiled at her and nodded my head "Yes and you will be happy too"

She was quiet for a few minutes "I need time. Embry is almost like a stranger at this moment"

"Rachel, take your time. Talk to him"

She nodded her head before leaving the room and I quickly shut the lights falling back on the bed. Sam and I did not have anyone to guide us, who had been in the same situation as us but just like Sam helped in training all the new boys who phased in settling in this life, I would be there for the imprints, if they needed my help so that they have an easy road ahead.

X-X-X-X-X

"Are you sure about this?" asked Sam for the umpteenth time in the past few days. I rolled my eyes and nodded my head. It had been two stressful weeks since Embry imprinting on Rachel. Billy and Sarah had not liked the news of their daughter being imprinted on much, but Billy had finally, muttered that better Embry than Paul. Jacob had taken to following Embry and Rachel everywhere to keep an eye on them, with a huge scowl on his face before Rachel had thrown a lamp at him and told him to mind his own business and go find some work for himself. Apart from that, Embry and Rachel had decided to be friends for now.

A coven of three vampires had come into the area around ten days back, feeding in Forks and creating havoc in Forks as well as La Push putting the pack on red alert and us imprints on lockdown. Both Rachel and I had to temporarily stay at Sam's house with a wolf guarding the house at all times and even Kim was told to stay here most hours in a day. Finally after hours of patrolling, few hasty escapes and a couple of nasty gashes all three of those vampires were in ashes.

"But" sighed Sam bringing me back to the present

"Sam it is too late. We are almost there"

He sighed again. A few days back Sam's mother Allison who lived in Seattle had called and extended a sort of olive branch inviting us for lunch in her new apartment. Sam had refused to go there straightaway but she was still his mother and somehow I had been successful in convincing him that it was just one lunch, what could go wrong?

Also with the threat of vampires now over, we could spend some time together which had not been possible for the past few days and a weekend getaway would be perfect for that. So that was why Sam and I were on the way to Seattle right now and Sam had taken two days off patrolling. Today was Saturday and we planned to go back home tomorrow.

"I don't know. I don't get a good feeling" said Sam "She has not spoken to me in months and suddenly she invites me with my girlfriend to her house for lunch"

I took his free hand that was not currently on the steering wheel, in my hand.

"Sam, she is your mother. Maybe she just wants to see you and talk to you letting go of whatever happened in the past"

He shook his head "I doubt it"

I did not say anything instead squeezing his hand in support. Allison Uley surely did not have a very good reputation back in La Push. When I had told Sue about going to Seattle to meet Allison, she had told me how no one really liked Allison back when they were younger because of her snobbishness and selfishness also the fact that she almost abandoned her two year old son when Joshua Uley left town after their divorce, leaving Sam to be looked after by his paternal grandmother.

Soon we were pulling under the address she had messaged Sam. Her house was located in the outskirts of Seattle.

We got out of the car and Sam took my hand in his, needing the support. He had not seen Allison Uley in months now and even before that he told me how she was like a virtual stranger to him growing up.

He rang the doorbell and a woman in her late thirties opened the door. Even a stranger could have guessed that she was related to Sam by the similarities in their facial structure. Sam looked a lot like her. Her hair was the same black color though it was cut to the shoulders and had the same brown eyes. She stared at us for a few minutes before realization hit her.

"Samuel, is that you?" she said giving him a hug which he hesitantly responded to "I am seeing you after so long. You look so different and grownup"

"Yes mother, it is me" said Sam, his voice devoid of any emotion

She nodded her head "And this is?" she asked looking at me

"This is Bella Swan, my girlfriend"

She gave me a small smile and asked us to follow her in

We followed her in silence. I could feel how uncomfortable Sam was right now. He gave me a reassuring smile when I looked at him in concern.

We had just sat on the sofa set in her living room when a Caucasian man in his late fifties entered the room.

"Ah Samuel, Allie has told me a lot about you" he said giving us a huge smile and putting his hand ahead for Sam to shake.

"I am sorry I did not recognize you" said Sam curiously shaking his hand

"This is my husband James" said Allison and I felt Sam stiffen next to me "His daughter Audrey will be joining us in a while"

"You got married?" he asked her

She nodded her head "A few months back"

"And you did not bother informing me?" said Sam raising his eyebrow

"It must have slipped my mind" she said nonchalantly

I could feel Sam shaking next to me. His face was red with anger and he was almost on the verge of phasing.

"Sam, you cannot phase hear. Calm yourself down" I whispered

He took a few deep breaths and the shaking stopped.

"I will be in the Kitchen" said James leaving the room and even I got up to leave, giving them the privacy they would need to talk when Sam took my hand in his, stopping me from leaving. He gave me a look asking me to stay back and I nodded my head.

"It slipped your mind, mother?" shouted Sam "I am your son dammit. Don't you think I deserve to know this much?"

"Samuel, it has been seventeen years. You can't be angry at me for moving on from your good for nothing father. I thought that this would be a good chance for us to talk so I invited you both" she said looking annoyed

"Mother, if you cannot even figure out why I am upset, then I have nothing to talk to you about" said Sam his voice harder that I had ever heard.

"Fine, suit yourself. I just thought that we could have reconciled but I guess I was wrong" she said walking out of the room

I took Sam's head in my hands as she left the room. I could see the few stray tears that were falling from his eyes.

"Let's leave" said Sam taking my hand and walking towards the door. We had hardly walked a few steps out when he suddenly stopped and wrapped his arms around me tightly as if he would fall down, if he let me go.

I hugged him close to me.

"I am ashamed to even call her my mother. She is so selfish, has always been" he whispered "She is not my mother, just a random stranger who I talk to sometimes"

"I am sorry for bringing you here. You did not want to come, I forced you"

He shook his head "No I needed to see this. Now I know for sure that just like I have no father, I have no mother too. It was over years back but this was the last thread."

"I am sorry" I whispered kissing him lightly

He shook his head and looked at me with the most serious expression I had ever seen on him "I promise you this today that I will be a good father to our children. I will be there for them. They will not suffer like I did, like Embry did, like so many other kids who grew up without a father, on the res did"

"I know and I trust you. I love you so much"

"I love you too" he said, his eyes shining with love

We were quiet for a few minutes. We sat in the car and Sam started driving it out of the driveway.

"Do you want to go home instead?" I asked him. It had surely been a heavy day.

He shook his head "No, this was supposed to be our weekend and I will not let my mother ruin this for us. We are still going to have fun like we were supposed to"

I nodded my head. Soon we started talking about random stuff forgetting all that happened this morning.

Soon we were parking the car outside Holiday inn. After checking in the room and changing our clothes, we left to do all the touristy stuff. We started with Pike Place market entering the original starbucks which is credited to be the first starbucks and after drinking our coffees roamed around for a bit. The Golden age collectables which is the World's oldest comic book shop was next on our list. It was huge and had old, new, Marvel, Dc, all types of comics from wall to ceiling. There were also games, toys and movie posters in there and Sam and I spoke about our comic book phase relishing over all the books we could find.

We took a ride in the Seattle great wheel entering the gondola which could fit close to eight people and clicked photos of the spectacular view in front of us. When we were dead tired on our feet from all the exhaustion of the day, we stopped for dinner at El Borracho which was a Mexican restaurant. Sam ordered a plate of tacos for himself while I ordered Quesadillas.

"So I wanted to talk to you about something" said Sam looking up from his plate

I nodded my head

"Now that we are five in this pack and patrolling is not that much, I was thinking of starting some work"

"Wow, what work? Are you joining Dowling's again?"

He shook his head "Because of the erratic timings I will never be able to work for anyone else. I was thinking of starting a construction company. Jared's father has offered to help me in setting it up. With the extra strength it won't be much of a problem"

I nodded my head and gave him a smile "That's good"

After dinner we drove back to our hotel. The next day was more relaxing with us sleeping in and it was evening by the time we reached La Push, Sam dropping me at my place before driving to his. Kim was over with Rachel when I entered and after telling them in detail about what all we did, I was allowed to go to my room. All in all despite the incident with his mother, we had a good weekend.

X-X-X-X-X

The days passed quickly after that with School and Work. I occasionally had lunch with Charlie and Sue at the diner in Forks and most of my evenings were spent with the Pack at Sam's place or my house which had become the new hanging spot for everyone.

Today was Saturday, exactly three weeks after our Seattle visit and I was in Sam's house baking muffins while he was on his patrol.

Suddenly Sam entered looking grim, his face tense.

"What happened?" I asked him

"Seth phased"

And my world stopped for a minute.

A/N: All the information I take is from the internet. I don't own anything other than this plot line, everything belongs to their respective owners.

Also I had a question for the readers, do you want Leah to phase because as of now, I was thinking of not making her phase. I always thought that what happened with her was cruel. Please let me know what you think on this matter. Thank you.


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you loves to read234, Sassy Mami, Beuty6, MissArcticWolf, MammaNita4, sarae32, Taylor9901, YankeeGirlNJ, Loveforgreeneyes, Bugsmamawolf, catgrl, brankel1 and the guest reviewers.

After reading the reviews I have decided that Leah will not be phasing in this story. Thank you and hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 16-

Suddenly Sam entered looking grim, his face tense.

"What happened?" I asked him

"Seth phased"

And my world stopped for a minute.

I never knew what real panic felt like before this moment. A million thoughts were running in my mind. My baby brother, my fourteen year old brother had phased into a shape shifter forcing him to grow up before time. He was a child, a mere teenager whose life had so drastically changed. Instead of studying or playing games with his friends, he was now going to patrol the reservation against creatures that could easily kill him so that his family and tribe members who had no idea of this world could sleep peacefully. How unfair was this not only to him, but to all of them who had to sacrifice much more than anyone else of their age.

They lost their childhood, their freedom, their innocence within minutes just because a 'family' of vampires thought this was a good place to live. How unfair was this?

"Bella, are you okay?" said Sam coming and wrapping his arms around me

I shook my head and wiped the few tears that had fallen from my eyes.

"He is fourteen Sam, a child" I whispered hiding my face in his warm chest

Seth's fourteenth birthday had been just two weeks back and both Sam and I had gone to my old house for his birthday party and even Leah had been present as it was Seth's birthday and he wanted all of us there with him and though she had not even spoken a word to either me or Sam, her being there for Seth, Charlie and Sue was enough for me and now this. This was again going to change everything the peace that we had somehow managed to keep was again going to be disrupted.

Sam just hugged me tighter. He did not say anything. He did not have to. I knew what was going on in his head. Sam hated the fact that so many of them were forced into this world which they had no place being in. With every phase, his hatred for vampires increased and now kids as young as fourteen were phasing? Was there no end to this?

"Why are they phasing so early? You were nineteen, Paul was eighteen, Jared was seventeen and Embry and Jake are sixteen but Seth, he is hardly fourteen and why are so many of you phasing in the first place. The old pack consisted of only three people. This pack is now of six." I shouted taking my head in my hands.

He shook his head and spoke with disdain in his voice "The elders think it is because of those vegetarian leeches living this close by that the gene is getting activated in so many of us. They are seven of them, so more of us are phasing, so that we can balance them if need be and the ages are because there are not many people in the correct age group for phasing and so kids have started phasing. The council and I made a family tree of all three pack members of the older pack, Ephraim Black, Levi Uley and Quil Ateara the second to see who all could carry the gene. There are not many of my age. Either they are older or younger. Many of us are only children too, I am an only child, so are Jared, Paul and Embry and even Quil. Jacob and Seth only have sisters. Many of our parent's siblings either did not marry or left the reservation with their children when they were younger so all those who have the gene are phasing irrespective of age now"

"But this is so wrong? Will more be phasing and what about those who left the reservation, will they also be phasing?" I asked worriedly

"Hopefully not" "And unless the ones who don't live here come in direct contact with leeches they should be safe"

I nodded my head. At least somewhere someone else would be safe from this.

"Where is Seth right now?" I asked him after a few minutes. I needed to go to him and see him with my own eyes.

He was quiet for a few minutes

"Sam, tell me" I shouted at him

He sighed "A little ahead in the woods. He is cowering and hiding behind a tree. Jared and Embry are trying to make him phase back"

"Why is he hiding?" I asked confused

"Because of his size, he is a pup, Bella. He is scared of all of us. All of us are bigger than him, even Embry, who is the smallest out of all of us is huge compared to him. Seth is not ready to listen to any explanation at this moment. His wolf is terrified that we are going to harm him"

I sighed and whispered "Why is he smaller than the others?"

"He phased much earlier than he was supposed to. With time, as his age increases, his wolf will also grow taller and bigger"

I nodded my head "Take me to him"

He was quiet for a few minutes before he shook his head "He is a new wolf Bella, they are volatile. I cannot let you near him. What if he loses control?" he finished with a sad expression and a slight shake in his body, not even meeting my eyes. The council had told Sam in the early days of our imprinting, how Levi Uley of the last pack had accidently scarred his imprint when he phased too close to her and three long scars had marred her face as a result. Luckily the Cullen's were living in Forks in those days and because of Carlisle Cullen's friendship with Ephraim Black, he had treated Ellen Longtree and had saved her life and so Sam was even more scared of letting any new wolf near a human and enforced that till they gain basic control, they should stay away so that something like that would never happen again. At present out of all of them Sam and Jared had the best control over their anger and Paul had the worst. Just last week Paul had almost phased in the school cafeteria over an argument before Jared and Embry had pulled him out.

"Sam, look at me" I said making him meet my eyes

"You yourself said that he is liked a scared pup at this moment. He will not hurt me. I know him. He is my brother Sam. I need to see him. He needs to calm down so that he can phase back."

He reluctantly nodded his head after a few minutes of silence

"Thank you" I whispered hugging him

"But I will be standing right there and even if he starts shaking a bit you will move away" said Sam giving me a stern expression.

I readily nodded my head and the both of us left his house to go into the woods nearby.

We had hardly walked ten steps from his backyard when I heard a soft whining sound. Sam nodded his head when I looked at him in confusion and mumbled that this was wolf Seth's voice. I was shocked. He sounded completely terrified at the moment and I walked faster to reach to him to help him in calming down.

A brown wolf and a grey wolf with black spots were guarding the area that I recognized as Jared and Embry and I could see a small sandy brown wolf peeking out of the tree and then hiding again with his tail tucked between his legs when he saw that Jared and Embry were still standing there.

"Can't he hear them both in the pack mind?" I whispered to Sam

He nodded his head "He can but his wolf is not willing to listen. He is terrified of them both and they are the smallest out of all us. Jacob is bigger than me and I cannot send Paul for obvious reasons"

I nodded my head and walked closer to Seth.

"Seth" I whispered as I took a step ahead. He looked up to make his eyes meet mine and whined loudly and then when he saw Sam behind me he growled to which Sam growled back.

I glared at Sam when wolf Seth immediately rolled over his back and exposed his belly and Sam looked at the floor.

"Seth, it is me Bella, can I come ahead?" I whispered softly

He nodded his big head giving me a wolfy grin.

I walked to where he was sitting and he plopped his huge head in my lap as I started running my hands through his soft fur and I felt his fear slowly vanish. He was sandy brown in color and was no bigger than a normal dog but his paws were oversized in comparison.

"Sethy, you remember the legends mom used to tell you when you were younger and asked for a bedtime story?" I whispered to him softly still running my hands through his fur.

He nodded his head after a few minutes and I could see Sam telling me to continue.

"The stories of Taha Aki and the spirit warriors, they are all true. You are a spirit warrior, a shape shifter now"

He whined again after a few minutes and hid his face in my lap.

"It is not all bad. You are a protector now, this is an honor and these are your brothers, your pack" I said pointing at the others.

He looked at me before looking at them.

"See that brown wolf that is Jared Cameron and the grey one with spots is Embry Call. The others in the pack are Sam, Paul Lahote and Jake"

His yellow eyes looked at me in shock and I nodded my head "Yes, Sam is a shape shifter too. He was the first to phase and is the current alpha of the pack"

Understanding shone in his eyes.

"Will you go with them?" I asked him "Don't worry, they will not harm you. They are just overgrown dogs and you know Embry and Jake from before, they can't hurt a fly even if they tried to" I continued when I saw his worried expression "They will look after you. They are your pack now, your family"

After a few minutes he nodded his head. He lifted his head from my lap and followed Embry and Jared into the woods after licking me on my cheek giving me another wolfy grin.

"You okay?" said Sam giving me his hand to help me in getting up

I nodded my head reluctantly, getting up from where I was sitting.

"You don't look okay" he said as we started walking back to his house "You can tell me" he said taking my head in his hands and kissing me lightly on the forehead.

I sighed "Seth was the baby of our family until Hazel was born and even after that. Even though he is just a few years younger than me, I can't help but feel protective of him. He was just so fun loving and sweet, always with a smile on his face and now he will have to grow up prematurely"

He pulled me into his arms "We will look after him, nothing will happen to him"

I nodded my head. I knew that Sam would not let anything happen to his brothers.

"You know if either I could phase or Leah could which I know that neither is possible we would in a heartbeat, to look after Seth"

He gave me a smile "The kid is lucky to have sisters like you"

I reciprocated his smile "He deserves it. He would do the same for us"

"Seth will be staying at my place for a few days after he phases back so that he can gain control before he goes back to school. I will go and talk to Charlie and Sue about this" he said

"I will come with you"

He nodded his head

"Sam, what about their school" I asked him "With the constant patrolling, all of them are losing out on school and even exams sometimes. How will they graduate at this rate?"

He sighed "I know. I was luckier that I had graduated before I phased or I would have definitely dropped out"

"We need to do something Sam. Kim and I collect the homework and the notes we can for Jared and Paul because we are in the same grade as them but what about the other three. Jake and Embry miss out on a lot and now even Seth will"

He nodded his head "We can talk to Thomas Smith. He is an elder as well as the school principal of LPH"

"Yeah we can talk to him and make some arrangement so that they don't have to drop out and can continue their studies simultaneously with patrolling the res."

He nodded his head. We walked the short distance back to his house and I used my phone to call up Charlie and Sue. We told them that we would meet them in Charlie's office at the station without giving them the actual reason why we wanted to meet them right now. It was better if we told them this in person rather than on phone.

Half an hour later we were sitting in Charlie's office. Charlie looked livid. It looked as if he wanted to shoot someone, either Sam who was the messenger or the Cullen's for existing and living in Forks and Sue was crying as I sat next to her consoling her.

"This is it" shouted Charlie getting up from his chair and pacing the room "I am going to talk to Billy and tell him to ask the Cullen's to leave. Because of them so many kids have lost their childhood and future."

Sam sighed "We cannot do that Charlie. We have a treaty with them. Unless they feed from humans or change one, we cannot attack them"

"So what we sit here and see more kids phase? What's next eleven year olds and twelve year olds phasing and becoming wolves to lose their childhood?" said Charlie

"If not the Cullen's there would have been other vampires Charlie" said Sam dejected "The climate here is perfect for their kind"

"This is bullshit. It is the constant exposure to their kind that results in the change" said Charlie "And I am not like your tribal elders who wish to celebrate every new phasing. It may be an honor but it is equally a burden. You, Jared, Paul, Embry, Jacob and now Seth all had to make sacrifices"

Sam took his head in his hands looking more tired than usual. Charlie was correct on this. Once the council would get news of Seth phasing, no doubt a bonfire would be thrown to celebrate. A bonfire was held every time someone new phased and the legends were retold.

I went and sat next to Sam taking his hand in mine and squeezing it.

"We cannot do anything Charlie" said Sue "We have to accept it. None of them deserved to be pulled into this life but they are now a part of it and we have to accept it"

Charlie looked resigned before nodding his head and sitting next to Sue.

"Seth will be staying with me for a few days till he gets enough control to be around others and can go to school again" said Sam and both of them nodded their heads hesitantly.

After talking to them for some more time the both of us left to go back to La Push and by the time we reached Sam's house, Seth had phased back to human and was sitting on the couch watching a game with everyone else. Sam never locked his house as he believed that this was also the Pack house and anyone of them was free to drop in anytime, even if he was not at home and his guest room was always available. His guest room was used more by Embry and Paul than anyone else as both of their mothers who were out of the loop of the secret kept worrying about where they disappeared at night and Embry was grounded almost every alternate day. The rumors that their 'cult' was into steroids only made Tiffany Call angrier at Embry and more than once she had demanded to know what was going on in his life only to hear that he could not tell her because of the council's order.

I looked at Seth as my thoughts brought me back to the present. His face had lost all the baby fat that he once had as if he was forced to mature overnight. His height had increased and he was now almost 6 feet tall and even though he was not as muscular as the others, he had muscles. He did not look anything like my fourteen year old brother, I had last seen a few days back.

He looked at me sadly and despondently as if he was waiting for me to tell him that he was a monster and that he should stay away from me. I could see the vulnerability on his face and I shook my head before opening my arms and he quickly ran to me and gave me a tight hug. I winced a bit at his new strength.

"You are not a monster Seth" I told him as I ran my hands through his hair. It was a ridiculous thought to even think about. I was dating a shape shifter and most of my close friends these days were shape shifters.

"I was so scared. I don't know what happened suddenly. One minute I was out walking towards the beach and the next, I was on the ground screaming in pain as I felt every bone in my body pain"

"What caused your phase Seth?" asked Sam and we sat again on the couch

"Were you having fever or body pain before?" asked Jared

"You did not have much of a growth spurt" said Paul and I nodded my head. Seth was not showing any of the normal symptoms or someone would have realized.

"No I was normal till this morning. I don't know what happened. I was walking through the shortcut through the woods which leads to second beach when I smelt something like bleach and out of nowhere a woman with pale skin and red eyes jumped in front of me. She laughed and said that I smelt like wet dog and that my time was not up yet and she would be back and the next thing I know my entire body is on fire" said Seth shaking a bit

I could see that all of them were now shaking from anger and to be honest even I was scared and worried.

"She was a leech, Seth" said Jake as Seth stared at him in shock

"We will have to increase patrols Sam" said Jared and Sam nodded his head

"I will prepare a new schedule for us and we are six of us. We can easily kill one leech" said Sam "Embry, Paul, run a quick round of the res"

Both of them nodded their heads before leaving the room. Jake soon left and so did Jared leaving the three of us alone. I went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat while Sam told him everything about being a werewolf that Seth needed to know.

"I am going to go and check on them to see if everything is alright or not" said Sam wrapping his arms around me and peppering my face with kisses before leaving the house. I saw Seth watching us both from the doorstep. I smiled and told him to enter and sit as I kept a hamburger in front of him which he quickly ate in two bites. I knew by now that the first phase was always the most difficult and it left them extremely hungry.

"You want more?" I asked him after his fourth burger and he shook his head as silence enveloped us both.

"He looks at you with so much adoration and love in his eyes that even if I want I cannot hate him" he said after a few minutes

I gave him a smile "Don't hate him. It was no one's fault"

He nodded his head "I know, they told me about imprinting"

I nodded my head back

"You know Leah misses you"

"I miss her too" I whispered

"I wish we could tell her about this"

"Me too" I said sighing

"Oh man! I will have to hear his thoughts about you now because of the pack mind" he said groaning as I laughed

"Jake and Embry are facing the same problem"

"Tell him not to think about you in any way a brother should not see his sister in, when we are sharing a pack mind. He may be the alpha but I will find a way to kick his ass if he does" he said in a serious voice which made me laugh harder. I ruffled his hair before going back to the food I was cooking for when all of them came back.

It was another two hours before all of them came back with the news that there were no new vampire sightings at present but they would still have to keep up with the patrolling schedule.

The others even Kim and Rachel soon arrived and they helped me with preparing dinner while the boys held their pack meeting and Sam used a tattoo gun to give Seth the official pack tattoo.

"Welcome to the pack, Seth" said Sam once he was done with the tattoo and all of the other pack members repeated the same with Jared, Jake and Embry calling him Pup and Paul calling him shorty which a smirk to which Seth had snarled. Seth was the shortest at 6 feet, Jake and Sam were almost 6.7 and the others were all close to 6.4.

"So I had gone to inform the elders about Seth phasing and we are having a bonfire tomorrow to give him an official welcome" said Sam and all of us nodded our heads as dinner continued and I made plans with Rachel and Kim about tomorrow.

After dinner, Seth who was dead on his feet from exhaustion left to go to his room and so did all of us with Embry dropping me and Rachel home as Sam had to patrol for a few hours from now.

The next day after work I headed to First beach where all of them were already assembled. After talking to Billy and Sarah for a while we all played a quick game of football with even us three girls joining in though Sam had ended up warning the pack that there will be no roughhousing or anyone who does so will end up with double patrols. After the game ended, we had the dinner that had been prepared by Sarah with Rachel helping her and then I sat cuddled in Sam's arms as Billy and Old Quil narrated the legends. Every time I heard the legends I felt like I was hearing them for the first time and I lost myself in the beauty of them.

By the time the legends ended Kim was asleep on Jared's shoulder and so was Rachel on Embry's. Everyone soon left after the legends ended and I went to Sam's house instead of mine as it was not his turn to patrol tonight.

The next two weeks passed by quickly with Seth still staying at Sam's and learning the ropes of being a shape shifter and how to control your anger and not phase. He was not yet back at school but he was confident that he could go back by next week but that had not stopped the rumors from spreading around La Push that Seth and now even Quil were a part of the 'Uley Cult' as someone had seen them roaming together. A week after Seth's phase, Quil phased out of the blue and he was the only one out of all of them who had been radiating excitement when he had phased and was told that the legends were true. He was just happy to be friends with Jake and Embry again as their friendship had been affected when they had to stop talking to him to avoid exposure and to keep him safe.

Today was Saturday and I left my house to go to Sam's place. Sam and I had plans to go to Port Angeles for the day. The vampire that had forced Seth's phase had not returned since then and so they were patrolling in two's these days.

I had just parked my truck in the driveway when I heard loud noises coming from Sam's front yard.

"What the fuck is your problem Sam Uley?" shouted a very familiar voice

Shit! That is Leah

I ran to where they were standing opposite one another. Leah looked furious and Sam was shaking a bit.

"Do you derive some sick pleasure from breaking families?" she shouted "What have you done to my brother? Why is he following you around like a pet? What kinds of steroids are you forcing on him and why does he have a tattoo? He is fourteen you asshole"

Sam was shaking harder now

"And here is the icing on the cake, my parents lied to me and told me that he was on the Makah reservation as he wanted a short break from everything that was happening around and he would be back soon but imagine my surprise when I saw him cliff diving with your clones the other day" she spat out

Sam was barely controlling himself now. No, He can't phase right now. Leah is standing right opposite him. I ran ahead to where they were standing.

"Leah, stop it. You need to leave"

"Oh look the backstabber is here to protect her cheating steroid taking boyfriend" she said sarcastically

"Leah enough" I tried pushing her backwards to make more space between her and Sam.

"You know what Uley, I regret that I ever fell in love with you. You did not deserve it and Bella, I will give you one last advice, be cautious because once a cheater, always a cheater just like his father"

That was the final straw. I saw Sam lose control of his wolf as his hands and legs began to change into paws and slowly fur started to cover his body.

There was no time to move now.

In a fraction of a second, I used all my strength to push Leah behind, as far as I could and I closed my eyes knowing what was going to happen next. My feet refused to move anymore. I guess I was just too scared to react. My last thought was that this was not the way I wanted Leah to know the truth.

Paul POV:

It was another day and another patrol, the routine of my life these days, I thought as I let my legs stretch before letting my wolf reel in the freedom of running.

Today I was on patrol with Embry whose every thought was consumed by Rachel Black. 'Rachel wanted to see that new movie' 'Rachel would like this book' 'Rachel was looking so pretty yesterday, no wrong she looks pretty every day'.

I mentally gagged. I hated sharing a mind with the imprinted wolves. They were all pussy whipped and Jared was the worst out of all of them. Kim could literally put a leash on him and he would smile and let her. Their love sometimes nauseated me. Because Sam was the alpha, his thoughts were protected more and when he thought about Swan it was not much audible and only a few things slipped here and there. I know I have said this before but I never want to imprint. After what happened with Sam and Bella's imprinting and the fact about how hurt Leah was, Sam told us not to get into serious relationships as we could have to break their heart one day. I was completely fine with that to be honest. I was so not ready to be tied down for all of eternity.

I thought about the red eyed female leech we had seen in Seth's mind. She was short with black hair and looked Mexican. She had not appeared again but we were not going to take risks.

"Oh look the backstabber is here to protect her cheating steroid taking boyfriend"

I heard a loud voice shout. It recognized the voice as Leah Clearwater's and it was coming from Sam's house, which was nearby.

"Leah enough" said another voice, Swan's

"Embry" I said through the pack mind "I am going to go and check this out. I have a feeling it is important"

He mumbled an "okay" before going back to thinking about Rachel in a red dress as I rolled my eyes.

I trotted towards Sam's house as I heard more of the conversation. Shit! I increased my pace and reached the edge of the woods phasing back as soon as I could.

I reached just in time to see Bella push Leah behind and close her eyes as Sam's form was beginning to change and his yellow eyes were wide with shock. It was too late to stop now.

I ran towards the girls not even bothering that I was only in my birthday suit and using my shape shifter speed and strength pushed Bella back the second Sam gave way for his black wolf. If I had been a second late, he would have phased right on top of her, injuring or even killing her in the process.

"Sam, go and cool yourself off" I shouted at the black wolf as he whined pitifully looking at Bella who had fallen on the floor before running into the woods.

Leah was looking at the sight in front of her with shock as she stood there taking everything in.

"Bella, are you okay?"

She nodded her head, still in shock and I saw the small scratch on her left hand.

"Do you want to go the clinic?" I asked her

She shook her head looking at the scratch "It is a small scratch. It will heal" "Sam?" she asked worriedly

"Don't worry, he will be okay in some time" I said hoping that he would calm down fast

She hesitantly nodded her head.

The crisis had been averted for now.

I saw Leah move to go and sit next to Bella and I heard them whispering something about legends and imprinting but I tuned out. If Sam could lose control, anyone of us could and it was just luck that I heard Leah shouting. I did not even want to think about what would happen if I hadn't.

I turned back to look at the sisters who were now hugging and crying and I heard Bella whisper something like "Even if this was the worst way for you to find out, I am glad you did. I now have my sister back" through tears.

A/N: This was my longest chapter till date but I did not feel like breaking it down into two chapters. Thank you for reading.


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you Msmalloryreads, Taylor9901, catgrl, MammaNita4, brankel1, Beuty6, sarae32, YankeeGirlNJ, MageVicky and Cokey90 for your reviews.

Chapter 17-

"So this is everything" I told Leah as I sat opposite her on the couch in Sam's living room where we were currently sitting. After the sudden phasing of Sam's in front of Leah giving away the secret, Sam had run into the woods to calm himself down and Paul too had soon left to check on him after making sure that the both of us were alright. Now that the cat or in this case wolf was out of the bag I had wasted no time in telling Leah everything though she had already guessed most of what had happened. Just like the rest of us she had grown up listening to Billy narrate the legends during the annual bonfire and like most of the others had believed them to just be stories till now so putting two and two together for her had not been difficult. The mere fact that she had hugged me instead of pushing me away had given me the hope that maybe not everything was messed up or a lost cause and things could go back to how they were. I had pulled a still in shock Leah inside the house as soon as the both of us had stopped crying and had then told her everything that had happened since Sam's first phase, including the council's decision that we couldn't tell her anything while she had just listened in silence.

Bringing myself out of my thoughts I looked at Leah who was still contemplating all that I had told her about. I was internally hoping that she would understand and maybe try to accept my relationship with Sam. Finally after what seemed like a long time she nodded her head and sighed.

"I don't know what to tell you Bella"

"Leah, please believe me. We tried fighting it but the pull was too much to bear. We both used to feel pain when we were away from one another. We had no intention of hurting you but we fell in love after spending time with one another" I whispered

"Is the imprint just like it is explained in the legend of Taha Aki and the third wife?"

I nodded my head

"You are his soul mate" she whispered. It was not a question but a statement. "It was inevitable. The legends state that it cannot be fought"

I nodded my head again "He is the Alpha Leah. His imprint is stronger than the others. Even he tried and even I tried to stay away but it was only giving us pain. There is nothing more painful for a wolf than being rejected by their imprint"

"So those guys you went on dates with?" she asked curiously

I nodded my head again "Billy told me that the wolf will be whatever his imprint needs him to be but because I was of age and desired someone who would love me, Sam's wolf saw me as his mate. If I would have been a child or married, his wolf would have seen me like a sister and so I thought that if that void would have been filled maybe the imprint would have changed and he could be with you"

"But it did not work?" she said already knowing the answer

I shook my head "No it didn't. No one compares to Sam, Leah"

Her eyes filled with sudden sadness "I know, no one does"

"Leah, I…"

She interrupted me before I could say anything more

"Why couldn't it have been me? I really loved him" she whispered in a low volume as if it was not meant to be heard, taking her head in her hands shielding her tearstained face from me

"I am sorry Leah. I really don't know why the spirits did what they did. Sometimes two people are just not meant to be with one another despite of the love they share. I wish things would have been different and you would not have been hurt but Sam is my life Leah and I could never wish that he would not have been a part of my life. Maybe the journey to this end could have been easier" I trailed off

"Leah you are an amazing person and maybe your happily ever after is with someone else, someone who you will love and who will love you much more than you could have ever imagined. Just wait for it Leah. It is a beautiful feeling and you will get it one day"

"How are you so sure of that that I will get my happily ever after? Maybe I am just meant to be alone" she whispered looking at her lap

"Leah, everyone sooner or later gets their happy ending, maybe it is not what we had expected but it is only better than our expectations. I had never expected to fall in love with Sam but here I am" I said slightly chuckling "Leah, he may not be who you thought he would be but I can assure you that you will be happy in the future"

She nodded her head "I still wish you would have told me the truth"

"We wanted to" I said sighing "But the council takes the decisions and they told us that we both would be banished if I told you anything"

"What?" she gave out an incredulous gasp "How could they?"

I gave her a resigned look and shrugged

She muttered a few curses under her breath "Dad is correct when he says that the council takes pleasure in ruining people's lives"

"He hates all of them except Billy" I said laughing and she laughed along. It was a known fact that Charlie despised the council and felt that they behaved like they were the sole judge and jury without taking anyone else's thoughts into consideration. He felt that the council should be more lively and open to ideas instead of being so archaic and rigid in their thinking after all the world was changing every minute and certain ideologies had to change with it.

"I need time Bella, to understand all of this" she said after a few minutes of silence "Now that I know the truth I know that you tried fighting it and it was inevitable and all but it does not make it any easier for me. Yes maybe I now understand that neither of you wanted to hurt me nor Sam cheated on me or betrayed me but the matter of fact still remains that my heart broke and so did my dreams. I need time to recover from all of this and start accepting it. I don't want to be angry anymore. I want to go back to who I was" she said whispering the last part

I nodded my head in understanding "Leah, take your time but remember that I am here for you if you need me"

She nodded her head before hugging me "I know. These last few months were hell. I hated you, Sam, mom and dad for taking your side, everyone else in the world and more than anyone else, myself. I felt like there was something wrong with me. I was just not myself. I wanted to hate you so much but I just couldn't. I missed you too much for that"

"I missed you too, Leah and there is nothing wrong with you. You are perfect the way you are" I said firmly

She nodded her head chuckling "You know I missed your optimistic nature"

"Hey" I said protesting "It is good to be optimistic at times. Life becomes easier"

"It is" she whispered softly "So our baby brother changes into a wolf huh" she said enthusiastically, changing the subject

"Yup" I said cheerfully "He phased that is what we call the change, for the first time two weeks back and is the pup of the pack right now"

"He is just fourteen" she said sighing "Going out and fighting vampires…"

"Leah, the pack looks after one another, nothing will happen to him or any of them" I said reassuring her and somewhat myself too

"Sam's injuries that day" she said suddenly looking in a daze "The day we saw you both, were they from a vampire?"

I nodded my head remembering that dreaded day "That was the first vampire he fought" "And he was a lone wolf at that time. Now there are so many of them" I added when I saw the panic on her face

"But why are so many of them phasing?"

I sighed "We don't know but the council assumes that something big is coming and for that we will need numbers, so everyone who has the gene will phase. What and when no one knows but the pack has started training for it"

"Will I also?" she asked shocked

I shook my head "Only male descendents carry the gene at least that is what the legends say"

She nodded her head and was quiet for a few minutes "I am thinking of going to the Makah res to stay with Emily for a few days. Maybe a change of place will do me some good and I have not seen her in months"

"Are you sure about this?" Emily Young was Sue's cousin Greg's daughter and growing up she used to visit us during the summer every year and I had an easy going friendship with her. She and Leah had been like sisters before Sue married Charlie and even after that Emily was a constant in our house for those two months every year though she had not been able to come here from the past three summers owing to her parent's divorce and her father relocating to another reservation in Oklahoma. Now her summers were spent shuffling between her parents and the only time either she came down here or Leah went to Neah Bay was during other holidays. Her elder brother was already married and lived on the Makah res with his wife who was in the last trimester of her first pregnancy.

"Yeah, I was thinking of it even before I knew the truth and now that I know the truth it is even more important that I move on from Sam, after all he will be family one day and I don't want my and your relationship to be strained"

"Oh Leah" I said not knowing what to say to her at the moment

"I don't know what destiny or fate plan for me but if I am not meant to be with Sam, I am not going to stand in the way of your happiness. You are my sister and Sam was my friend before he became more to me and though I will need time to accept all of this maybe someday in future I will"

"You are the best sister and friend a person could ask for" I said believing every word of it

"I need to apologize to Sam though. I told him pretty hurtful stuff" she said after a few minutes "And I also need to meet Seth before I leave"

I nodded my head. Even I wanted to see Sam right now. His eyes had been very pained when he left and I hoped he was alright.

Almost on cue of Leah's words Seth walked inside the house with a huge smile on his face "Leah, I could not believe Paul when he told me that you know everything now. I am so happy that I don't have to hide from you anymore"

She nodded her head giving him a smile and ruffling his hair.

Seth took a look at me as if assessing my body for injuries "Bella, are you okay? Paul showed me what happened. Sam's mind is a mess right now. He is not coherent. His wolf is howling and blaming himself for hurting his imprint and is running feral. No one can get through him right now. All of us were terrified when we saw what happened in Paul's head"

"Oh no Seth, it is not his fault and I am not hurt. I need to see him. Where is he right now?" I said hastily.

"What would have happened if Paul had not pushed Bella back at the correct time?" whispered Leah ignoring what I had just said

"Our phase is very explosive as our bones shift to accommodate our new body. She would have ended up with scars on her body from Sam's claws or could have also died" said Seth sighing and coming and holding my hand. His body was still shaking but I knew that it was not because he was close to phasing, he was worried of what could have happened. Leah took my other hand in hers and I squeezed both of their hands. This was a thing we used to do as kids when we needed one another's support and reassurance without saying it out loud.

"I am perfectly fine guys. Nothing happened to me"

"Why did you push me back?" asked Leah

"You did not know what was going to happen and you are my sister and I could not see you getting hurt" I said honestly

"But you would have gotten severely injured or even died" she shouted "Oh god this is my fault" she said taking her head in her hands "I angered him. Did he phase because of that?"

I nodded my head "Extreme emotions control their phase and in most cases it is anger but you did not know of this"

"Still""I need to apologize"

I nodded my head "But first I need to talk to him alone. Seth, can you go and call him here"

He nodded his head before running out of the house and phasing.

"I am going to go back home and start packing. I also need to talk to mom and dad. I am assuming they know about the imprint"

"Dad saw Jared and Paul phase the day of the birthday and mom knew from the beginning because she was on the council"

She nodded her head "I will see you before I leave. I need to make amends for how I behaved these past few months"

I hugged her glad that I now had my sister back into my life. There were no more secrets in our family just like it had been before all of this.

She soon left and I walked towards the front yard waiting for Sam to come back. Whatever happened was unfortunate but it was not his fault and he could not blame himself for it. They cannot control their phasing even if they want to.

I sat on the front step for close to an hour before I saw movement in the bushes and a jet black wolf, the color of the night walked out slowly of the bushes. It was as if his paws were pulling himself ahead and his body had no energy left in it. His yellow eyes met mine and I could see the pain and remorse in them. A few small droplets of tears fell through his eyes disappearing in the magnificent black coat and his entire posture looked forlorn and devastated. I had never seen Sam look this distraught. He walked ahead still keeping some distance between us as if he was afraid of coming closer than this.

"Sam" I said softly walking towards him while he took two steps back in fear

"I don't blame you for what happened. It was not your fault. See I am alright, just a small scratch"

He whined loudly and hid his face in his paws.

"Sam, can I come closer?"

He looked at me for a few minutes before shaking his head in a painful manner.

"Please?" I asked him through a quivering voice. My heart was breaking looking at him in such a desolate manner. Sam was always the stronger one between us both and I had never seen him this upset and full of despair.

"I am not scared of you. I love you" I said walking ahead. He looked into my eyes when I said this as if half expecting me to tell him to leave and never show his face to me again and his body froze where he was standing. I took this as an opportunity to go closer to him and walked ahead, sitting on the ground next to him, not even carrying that it was muddy. I started running a hand through his black soft fur and he hid his face again in his paws adopting a non threatening posture. I started telling him how much I loved him and how that would never change as he just listened with sadness in his eyes.

"Bells" said Jake coming out of the nearby trees "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head giving him a small smile "It was no one's fault"

He gave out a relieved sighed before nodding his head "Bells, Sam's wolf wants to apologize to you for what he did. He will not be able to phase back till you don't forgive him and I cannot even tell you how much pain is he in right now. He thinks he is a monster for hurting you, his imprint."

I ran a hand through the black fur. Sam's head was now in my lap as he lied down next to me.

"There is nothing to apologize for as your emotions control your phasing"

Sam looked up to see me in my eyes and I nodded my head looking at him. I really did believe this. I could not compare him to a monster because he was never one. It was an unfortunate accident and I had been saved. I did not want to think of what had happened and what could have happened because it was pointless to do so and would just give us painful memories. I wanted to forget all of this like a bad dream, a nightmare that you forget when you wake up the next morning.

Suddenly he started licking my face hesitantly and repeatedly as tears strolled down his face. I saw that Jake had left us both alone. I could feel that this was the wolf's way of apologizing to me for phasing so close to me.

He kept licking my face as his eyes looked over every body part of mine as if making sure that I was alright and had not been injured in any way. He also kept licking the scratch that had been left on my left hand.

After assuring him that I was alright and after telling him that I forgive him, he laid down his big head on my lap and closed his eyes as if he was relishing in my scent. I knew that it was pivotal for the wolf to be near me too as I was his mate as well as the human's.

After what seemed like an hour he opened his eyes again and I figured that he had been asleep from the way he rubbed his eyes. He got up from where he was sitting and took a few steps away from me as I observed in surprise. Suddenly his entire body shook and instead of the black wolf stood Sam in front of me. He just stood there with pain and sadness in his eyes as if he had let me down. I sighed before running to him and hugging him wanting his body closer to mine. He stood there rigid in shock for a few seconds before his arms wrapped around me pulling me even closer to him and he peppered kisses on my face repeatedly saying that he was sorry despite of me repeating that there was nothing to be sorry for.

"You don't think I am a monster?" he asked hesitantly

I shook my head and took his hand in mine "Of course not Sam. Let's just forget whatever happened, it is in the past and we cannot let it affect our present or future"

He kissed my forehead before kissing the small scratch on my hand "I love you so much. I hated myself for scaring you and I thought that you would never want to be near me again" he said softly running his hands through my arms.

I shook my head "I can never be afraid of you"

He just looked at me for a few minutes before his warm lips were on mine kissing me roughly and passionately devouring me. I pulled onto his hair as I gave into the kiss needing him as much as he needed me at this moment.

Finally after the need to breathe overpowered us he separated himself from me and his forehead came to rest on my forehead.

"I need you Bella" he said after a few minutes of silence

I nodded my head "I need you too" I needed to feel him close to me, within me to be assured that everything in our life was back to normal, to how it was supposed to be.

He picked me up in his arms before walking towards the house.

X-X-X-X-X

Life soon went back to normal after that and Leah apologized to Sam for comparing him to his father before leaving for Neah Bay the next day itself. I would surely miss her but she needed this time to herself and Seth had gone back to the house now that he could start attending school with everyone else. The pack was a bit hesitant to be around the imprints and other people before of the sudden phasing but Rachel suggested that they could try meditation as a way to calm their anger in public. She suggested that they should count till ten when angry as it would give them the time as distraction they needed and even Sam had made sure that all of them knew to move back or run away when they felt that they were losing control over themselves. He did not want any incident as such to be repeated.

They were patrolling as usual and a few new scents had been spotted making them even more worried that indeed something big was approaching. They had killed a stay vampire too but had not been able to get any substantial information out of him. Between school, work and looking after the pack my hands were full. Sam and I had started using our own earnings to cook for the boys and keeping them well fed as their appetites were not easily filled and they needed to eat every few hours. Now that I had no definite plans of going to college I had started using my savings too to buy food and clothes for all of them as most of them was on their last pairs and not all of their parents could afford to buy them new clothes so frequently. Even Rachel and Kim had started chipping in and had come with me shopping to Port Angeles to buy spare cutoffs and slippers for them. Every night I would have dinner at Sam's with those who were not patrolling at the moment and Sam had told me once how Embry had let it accidently slip that his mother was blaming him for creating a hole in her pocket by the money they were spending on groceries and again she had blamed him for ruining her life by taking drugs and neglecting his studies. Since that day most of his meals were eaten over here with me and Sam though he never told us the actual reason and we never asked. He was Sam's brother and also his pack brother and most of the time the others joined too.

We had also visited the school principal, Thomas Smith and devised a way to complete their schooling so that they would not have to drop out. Attending school regularly would be an issue these days because of the constant patrolling and so he had agreed that they would have to attend school on a few important days apart from appearing for the exams and passing with a decent grade to clear the year. All the teachers would be notified of not questioning the six of the pack members who were still in school of their absence and Rachel and Sarah had taken it upon them to make sure that they were not far behind on their studies and homework.

Today was Saturday and it had been more than a month since Leah left for the Makah reservation. All of us were at first beach as it was a nice sunny day. The boys were playing football as Rachel, Kim and I basked in the rare sunlight.

Suddenly we heard the noise of screeching of tires and I turned to look at the car that had just arrived before a girl with copper skin and black shoulder length hair got out of the driver's seat. It took me a minute to recognize that this was in fact Emily Young before another girl joined her still laughing about something.

A huge smile appeared on my face when I realized that the other girl was Leah and she looked much better than she had when she left.

"Leah" I shouted and waved at her and she waved back before they both started walking towards us.

I quickly hugged her and Emily before introducing them to Rachel and Kim though of course Leah already knew who they were. We had just sat down to talk when suddenly out of nowhere a football came and hit Emily.

I saw Quil running towards us to get the ball back from Emily.

"Hey sorry it hit you, can I get it back" said Quil looking at Emily and putting his hand ahead

"Yeah sure" said Emily with a smile as her eyes met his and Quil's posture froze. They kept staring at one another and a goofy smile made its way on Quil's face. I had seen this exact same scene three times by now, once on myself and twice on others and sighed before muttering to the others that Quil had imprinted on Emily. All the boys were now looking in our direction taking notice of what had just happened before all of them came running to where we were standing abandoning their game and Sam came and wrapped his arms around me while the others started eating or going to where their imprints were standing. Quil and Emily were still staring at one another lost in their own world.

"Another pussy whipped wolf who will keep his balls in his imprint's purse" smirked Paul eating his hot dog

"Excuse me, what did you just say?" glared Leah looking at him before anyone else could say anything

He sighed before looking at her and opening his mouth to say something else before he froze and the hot dog fell from his hands. He kept staring at her like she was the yin to his yang.

"Did he just…?" I asked Sam and he laughed before nodding his head as everyone else also started laughing looking at them both staring at one another.

"Oh man. He totally deserves this" said Jared laughing barely controlling himself from falling down

"That's my sister" shouted Seth looking appalled and throwing his hands in the air before mumbling under his breath how everyone found his only sisters to imprint.

Paul imprinted on Leah, never even in my wildest dreams would I have thought that this would happen. Of course I was happy for her but this was too much of a shock at the moment.

I looked at Quil and Emily who still looked out of it before looking at the newest imprint of this pack. Suddenly Paul snapped out of it and shouted a shrill 'No' as the expression on his face changed.

A/N: I know that I had earlier said that Paul will imprint on an OC but I received a lot of reviews asking me if Paul will imprint on Leah and after giving it a thought and thinking of how it would affect the plotline ahead, I decided to give it a try as I liked the idea that was forming. So I request you all too, to please give this pairing a try. Thank you.


	18. Chapter 18

Thank you MammaNita4, GomezAddams1, catgrl, Sassy Mami, YankeeGirlNJ, Beuty6, Cokey90, Taylor9901, sarae32 and brankel1 for your reviews.

Chapter 18-

Suddenly Paul snapped out of it and shouted a shrill 'No' as the expression on his face changed.

His entire body was convulsing in rage and he looked livid as if he would phase any second now.

"Paul calm down" said Sam using his alpha voice

I saw Jared and Embry take two steps ahead so that they were standing between Paul and us all imprints.

"No" shouted Paul so loud that all the passersby were now staring at us in surprise and even Quil and Emily had temporarily stopped making goo goo eyes at one another to see what was happening around them .

"This can't be happening" said Paul still shaking

"Paul, you need to calm down. You knew this was a possibility" said Sam sighing "Go take a run and cool off"

"Why me? I don't accept this. This was not supposed to happen to me" Paul dramatically sighed looking at the sky as if talking to the spirits "I asked for one thing in life, to be a free bird and this is how you fulfill my wish by giving me the exact opposite of it"

I could hear Jake, Jared and Embry snickering in the background, Seth just looked pissed off and Quil scratched his head in confusion. He had probably not noticed the imprint between Paul and Leah.

Leah looked back at me in confusion an unspoken question in her eyes. I knew that even if she did not understand it at the moment she could probably feel that a connection had occurred between her and Paul and from the way Emily was looking at Quil I knew that she was definitely feeling the connection. They could not take their eyes of one another and had unknowingly drifted closer to the other.

"We should go back to the house. There are too many spectators here for this conversation" I said sighing looking at the crowd assembled who was openly gawking at us like we were some specimen in a museum. I glared at them and at least some of them had the decency to stop staring.

It was better if we had this conversation sooner rather than later before they start feeling the effects of being away from their wolf. Till now I was the only imprint who had been told of the imprinting days later, owing to the circumstances. Rachel knew the same day and Kim knew of it the next day when Jared had accidently blurted it out. I had a feeling that Emily would be okay with it as she already looked smitten by Quil but Leah, she was as stubborn as Paul if not more and I had an idea of how angry she would be. I groaned to myself thinking of it, both stubborn people with anger issues.

Sam nodded his head after a few minutes "Paul why don't you go for a quick run before joining us at the house?" For anyone listening it would seem like a suggestion but all of us knew that it was an order instead and Paul grunted once before nodding his head and running towards the woods.

"Why is going towards the woods for a run?" asked Emily bewildered "I have heard there are huge wolves in there" she said shuddering

"Emily" said Rachel with a smile on her face, going and standing next to her "There are a few things that will be told to you in a while, they will be quite shocking to begin with but it is not all bad, I can assure you and don't worry about those wolves, they are just cute oversized pet dogs who are softies at heart" she said looking at Embry who gave her a bright smile and a peck on the lips

"The wolves over here don't harm humans" said Jared "But you should still stay out of the woods"

"Yeah so don't be afraid of those wolves" said Quil looking extremely nervous

Emily hesitantly nodded her head and I walked up to where Leah was, as we all started walking back towards our cars to go to Sam's house.

"Quil imprinted on Em?" she asked surprised

I nodded my head

"But they have never even met before"

"Doesn't matter" I said shrugging "They could imprint on a complete stranger they saw at an airport once for all you know"

"Wow" she said shocked "I hope that doesn't happen to anyone. Imagine finding one person in such a huge crowd and you have no idea where that person is going or coming from and if you will ever see her again"

I nodded my head. That would be disastrous.

"But how will they work out the imprint? She lives in Neah Bay and is in her senior year of school yet. Don't they have to be near one another?"

"Yeah it hurts to be away from one another for long" I said "I don't know but I guess Quil will run down to the Makah reservation every few days"

She nodded her head and was quiet for a few minutes as if contemplating something "Something happened didn't it, between me and Paul?"

I just stared at her not knowing how to answer this. She already knew the answer to her question but she had just not realized it yet.

"And what was up with Lahote, why was he behaving like a dream queen?" she snorted

I sighed "You will get all your answers in a few minutes"

She narrowed her eyes slightly but did not say anything more. Soon we reached our respective vehicles and Embry, Rachel, Jared and Kim took off in Rachel's car while Seth, Quil, Emily and Leah took Emily's car and Jake decided to check on Paul before coming over.

Sam and I sat in his car and he started driving the short distance to his house

"You okay?" I asked him when I noticed that he was unusually quiet

He nodded his head going back to looking ahead

I took his free hand in mine and squeezed it lightly. I knew that imprinting had not erased his love for Leah it had just lessened it in comparison to his feelings for me and even though I knew that his feelings for me were genuine and he did love me, a part of me knew that he would always care about Leah.

"You can share it with me if you have something in mind" I said giving him a small smile

He sighed before stopping the car on the side of the road "I love you Bella more than anyone in this world but I still do care about her and I want her to be happy even if it isn't with me…"

"Sam" I said looking into his eyes "I know and I care about her too. Paul is a good man and he will keep her happy. I know it is unexpected but he will be good for her and she will be good for him"

"Is it wrong to still care about her?" he asked hesitantly

I shook my head "No it isn't. If you wouldn't have cared about her I would have been more worried as that is not the person you are" I said honestly "Sam, she was your first love and you did love her when you were together. When a relationship ends the feelings don't end with it but you know I believe in one thing, our heart can love more than once and it can love more than one person maybe not to the same intensity though and I know and accept it that she was a part of your past. I cannot change your past Sam and I don't want to. I want to be in your present and your future. So to answer your question it isn't wrong to still care about her"

He nodded his head kissing my hand that was enclosed in his "I love you"

"I love you too" I said cupping his cheeks

"You know maybe that's what Paul needs, a girl who can stand up to him and will not take his bullshit" said Sam

"And Leah needs someone who can challenge her but at the same time is fiercely loyal just like Paul" I added and he nodded his head

"I am happy that she will get someone who will love her as much as she deserves to be loved" said Sam after a few minutes

"Me too" I whispered "But now those both stubborn heads have to accept this imprinting"

He gave out a small laugh "They can try fighting it if they want"

"I guess that is what imprinting is about, finding that one person who completes you by being the exact being that you need in your life like Kim and Jared, Jared needed someone who could ground him and give him utter devotion and Kim needed someone who was outspoken and could take the lead in their relationship while also being witty and humorous. His wittiness helps her out of her shyness"

"Hmm makes sense when you put it like that" he said

"Rachel and Embry, Embry needed Rachel's maturity and confidence and Rachel needed Embry's patience and calmness and sincerity"

He nodded his head "What about Emily and Quil?"

I thought about it for a few minutes "Emily needed Quil's innocence, childlikeness and easy going nature to make her smile and Quil needed Emily's seriousness and responsible nature to balance him out and keep him afloat"

He snorted loudly "Imagine Quil and a female version of him roaming around. They would drive everyone crazy with their antics" he said making me laugh at that mental image

"I needed your unconditional support and understanding nature to help me in leading a pack of boys just a few years younger than me. I don't think I could have done this without you" he said after a few minutes making me smile

"And I needed your love to make me independent and make me value my family and friends even more than before and also your mental strength and security. When I am with you I feel like I can face anything" I said squeezing our intertwined hands

He gave me a smile before kissing me on the forehead "I feel the same though we should go back home now before everyone starts wondering where we are"

I nodded my head and he gave me a soft kiss before starting the car again.

We soon reached his house and walked towards it. We could hear voices coming from inside. As expected everyone was sitting in the living room including Jake and Paul, who was alternatively frowning and glaring at everyone as if he had been forced to be here.

I saw Emily standing by the counter in the kitchen and went to see what she was doing.

"Hey I hope you don't mind. The boys were cribbing that they were hungry so I decided to make them some muffins"

"I don't mind at all, thank you for it and the boys are always hungry. You just get used to those bottomless pits" I said laughing as she joined me in my laughter

We worked side by side for a while as everyone in the living room was talking about anything and everything temporarily avoiding the dreaded talk.

After taking the tray of muffins with us the both of us retired to the living room to join the others and the entire tray was clean within seconds as everyone ravished on it.

"So will someone tell me what is going on now if we are done with the pleasantries?" said Leah glancing between me and Paul

Sam took a deep breath and everyone straightened up at their places on the couch "Before we tell you that, Emily there is something we need to tell you"

She nodded her head in curiosity

"Quil?" said Sam looking at him

He nodded his head and went to sit opposite Emily

"Emily, have you heard of the Quileute legends?"

She looked surprised but nodded her head "I have heard some, why?"

He took a breath of relief and gave her a huge grin locking his hands behind his head and relaxing on the couch "They are true baby that's why"

She just stared at him for a few minutes "Excuse me?"

Sam groaned loudly "Emily the legends of the cold ones and shape shifters are all true. All of us boys here constitute a pack of shape shifting wolves. The gene gets activated when we are near vampires and we are built with the purpose of protecting these lands against their kind."

She just stared at us all for a few minutes blinking a few times and pinching her arm occasionally.

"Can I see? I find it hard to believe as of now" she whispered

"Quil" said Sam and he gave her a cheeky grin "Just like I imagined it would be my imprint sees me naked within an hour of us meeting. Just like in my dreams" he said before walking out and Emily hesitantly and slightly puzzled followed him

Rachel sighed loudly "Can I just say I feel bad for Emily. Poor girl will have to spend her entire life hearing lame jokes and sexual innuendos" and all of us nodded our head knowing the truth in that statement.

Emily came back in a few minutes later looking completely shocked and went and sat next to Leah

"Wow I still can't believe it. It feels like a dream" she mumbled

"Emily they don't harm humans though. They are good" I said and she nodded her head

"I don't know why but I feel like I can believe you all on this" she said

"So what is the other thing now?" said Leah impatiently

Sam looked at me to explain. Paul was still occasionally glaring occasionally frowning and looked ready to murder someone.

"Emily, Leah there is something known as imprinting"

"What does it mean?" asked Emily and I quickly explained to her what imprinting meant and with every word her eyes widened.

"So the reason we are telling you this is because Quil imprinted on you Emily"

Emily looked shocked for a few minutes before smiling and nodding her head "Okay I accept it"

"You do?" asked Quil wide eyed almost stumbling

She nodded her head "I believe in connections you know and I felt a strong instant connection to you. I felt like I knew you since ages instead of minutes and I am going to go with my instincts on this and accept it"

Quil went and sat next to her again "Baby you are perfect" he said and she blushed

I took a deep breath, now for the difficult part "Leah, Emily was not the only one to be imprinted on today" I said looking at Paul and her

Her eyes followed my eye movement and she got up from the couch in haste when she saw that I was looking at Paul.

"What the fuck is this?" she shouted "I didn't ask for this. I don't want this"

"You think I wanted this princess" said Paul sarcastically glaring at her

"Don't call me princess Lahote" bit out Leah

Paul rolled his eyes

"How can this happen? We saw each other before this?" said Leah

"The eyes have to meet for the imprint to happen" said Kim softly

Leah started muttering curses under her breath

"You think I am happy with this?" said Paul standing up "I get tied down to you, who is moody, temperamental, arrogant and bossy, oh and sarcastic"

Leah gave out a bitter laugh "Hold your horses for a second there mister. Are you describing me or yourself because all what you just said is the perfect description for you and I should be the one saying this line instead of you" she said

Paul started shaking and his face turned red with anger

"Paul" said Sam sternly standing up and standing in between of them both

"What? You have no answer to that" said Leah provoking him "Be a man instead of a fucking coward and give it back to me"

"Leah, don't instigate him" I chastised her

She walked ahead and flicked him on the chest completely ignoring my words "What, you have no answer Lahote?"

"Fuck off Clearwater" said Paul shaking much more than before

She gave out a short laugh "Seriously that is the best you got? In a few years Hazel will be able to give out better comebacks"

"Lee don't" said Seth protectively pulling her back. All of us were now standing and all the boys looked ready to pull Paul out of the house if needed.

"I don't need this or you in my life" muttered Paul through gritted teeth

She gave out a short laugh "Well it is sorted then, there is no imprint between us. Neither do you want this nor do I. We forget this ever happened and live our life the way we did before these unfortunate few minutes"

All of us looked at her in shock. Did she just say this or were my ears deceiving me?

Paul looked at her inquisitively clocking his head to one side for a few minutes before nodding his head "Deal, we forget this ever happened"

She gave him a smile and then the strangest thing happened, they shook hands on it and both walked out of the house in opposite directions.

Sam came and stood next to me while I leaned my head on his shoulder in shock.

"Why do I feel like I just saw a business transaction occur in front of my eyes?" said Jared

"How long do you think they will be able to fight it?" asked Embry curiously

"I say less than five days" said Jared

Embry shook his head "I think at least two weeks or more"

"You want to bet on it?" asked Jared raising his eyebrow to which Embry agreed and they quickly decided the bet money the loser owed the winner.

I sighed looking at their antics

"Bella, what do you think?" asked Rachel

"Knowing them both I would say it will take a while. Both of them are equally determined when they make up their mind"

"The pull is going to kill him" said Jared laughing "And I hope he realizes that he will not be able do anything with any other woman from now on. He will feel immense pain if he tries. The only woman he can see like that now is Leah"

Seth scowled at him "That is my sister dude. I don't need to know that"

Jared shrugged. I had learned this, a long time back that in this pack there were no secrets. What one knew the other knew too and there was nothing you could do about this.

Sam sighed loudly rubbing his hands over his face "Everyone go back to what they were doing before, Quil and Embry your turn to patrol"

Quil pouted at the thought of being separated from Emily but reluctantly left the house after exchanging numbers with her.

"Bella, talk to Leah" said Sam "I will talk to Paul. They are going to feel the pain of being away if they keep up with this idea of theirs"

I nodded my head and everyone soon left to go back to their homes.

"Sam, can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Jacob and the both of them left to go outside while Emily, Seth and I left to go back to Charlie and Sue's. Emily was temporarily staying with Leah and I decided that no time better than the present to talk to Leah about what all had just happened. Imprinting couldn't be fought and Sam and I were living examples of that. They were just putting themselves up for more pain and loneliness by ignoring it.

Emily drove the distance to the house simultaneously asking me questions about shape shifting, the pack and imprinting while I answered to the best I could. A question I had no answer to was how she and Quil would manage the distance living so far from one another. Kim, Rachel and I all three lived in La Push and so there was no problem as such pertaining to us and we all knew that the wolf side of theirs could not go more than a few days without seeing their imprint or they became antsy.

She told me what all they both had done in this one month including their short trip to Victoria where they toured Castles, museums and parks and how she had helped Leah slowly recuperate from her broken heart and I was immensely grateful for that, Leah did look happier than before.

After reaching home Emily sat in the living room to talk to Sue and Charlie while I made my way upstairs to Leah's room and Seth went to his. Paul imprinting on Leah was Leah's news to share with Charlie and Sue whenever she chose to do so, it would be her decision of how and what to tell them.

I lightly opened the door to her room. She was lying down on her bed reading a magazine and she sat up when she saw me.

"Hey" I said entering and sitting opposite her on the bed "You okay?"

She shrugged nonchalantly "Why wouldn't I be?"

I sighed but decided to change the topic for now. We spoke about the past one month and other random topics like school and work. She was going to be attending school again from Monday and she was also rejoining Sully's burgers as a waitress. I told her that I would give her the homework for the classes we had in common.

Finally after beating around the bush for a while she sighed and gave me a hard look "Tell me what you came to tell me"

"He has imprinted on you" I said

She nodded her head "I know and we have worked a way out to handle it"

"Leah seriously, Forgetting that it ever happened is your way out" I said exasperated

She just stared at me for a few minutes

"Leah, I know it is a shocker to you. Heck none of us expected this to happen but it has happened and I have told you what Sam and I went through when we tried fighting it. You are my sister and I don't want you to go through the same" I whispered

"I didn't want this" she said looking at her hands

I nodded my head "None of us did in the beginning except maybe Kim because of her crush on Jared since she was thirteen but the point being is that someone up there thinks that Paul and you would make a good match and complete one another"

She was quiet for a few minutes "Everyone has the right to learn from their own experiences and mistakes Bella and imagine a world in which you were not allowed to do half of the things because someone else had already done it and regretted it, what fun would it be then? There are two types of people in this world, one who learn by looking and observing other people's experiences and the other who want to experience it themselves, even if they end up regretting it. I want to be of the second type. I trust you when you say that imprinting falls under the category of baser instincts and there is a constant pull to that person and I can even feel the small tugging at my heart but for the sake of my own sanity I want to try fighting it and knowing Paul, even he is not going to accept it so soon. That is just who we are as people."

"You know you both are like two peas in a pod" I said chuckling

"I thought the saying was opposites attract?"

"It is" I said "But maybe the spirits knew that no one else would be able to handle you or him and so put you two together"

She showed me the finger making me chuckle

"So now what take it a day at a time?" I asked her

She nodded her head

"Promise me if you start feeling the pain you will do something about it" I said

"Bella, Paul and I are in the same friend group in school and outside though definitely not by choice" she said rolling her eyes "We are still going to be around one another, we are just ignoring the fact that he has imprinted on me because neither does he believe in imprinting and no offense but nor do I so as it stands right now, nothing changes between us"

I nodded my head not knowing what to say ahead. Luckily at that moment Hazel ran into the room hugging both me and Leah and telling us that Sue was calling us downstairs for dinner. Dinner was a noisy affair with all of us talking about random stuff and Hazel being excited over the fact that all of us were eating together after so many days reminding me that I should come over more often. Emily was staying the night and would be driving back to the Makah reservation tomorrow evening. After dinner even I decided to stay the night messaging Rachel and Sam of my plans.

The three of us saw a movie on the laptop before doing one another's nails and gossiping like we did when we were younger and had sleepovers choosing to then sleep in Leah's room. My old room had now been converted to a sewing room that Sue used.

The next morning I woke up before everyone else which was surprising because of the late hour I had slept at. I decided to use this time and made breakfast for everyone and Hazel's favorite banana nutella crepes among other dishes.

Soon everyone came downstairs from their rooms and sat on the dining table and I joined them with the breakfast I had cooked as we had easy conversation. After breakfast Seth informed us that during his patrol last night, Jake had told him that today morning was a pack meeting with the council and it was mandatory for all the imprints to attend too as the meeting was going to be important though when he asked he said that he had no idea what was it about.

So after getting ready all of us made our way to the Black's house though Leah came with us very reluctantly as she refused to consider herself as an imprint.

By the time we reached many of the pack had already arrived and I went to talk to Sam who was standing by Billy.

After talking to Billy for a while he excused himself leaving us both alone

"How was your sleepover last night?" asked Sam

"It was good, nostalgic really"

He gave me a warm smile

"So what is this big meeting about?"

His expression told me that he knew what it was about as I had expected him to.

"I have not called the meeting"

"Then who has?" I asked surprised, either the council called or the Alpha did.

"Jacob has"

"Why?" I asked curiously

"You will soon know, can't tell you right now too many wolves around and he wants everyone to know at the same time"

I gave him a suspicious look "Is it what I think it is about?"

He nodded his head "If you think I am going to be spending much more time with you then you are thinking correct" he said wrapping his arms around me

I gave him a grin as realization hit me on what was going to be discussed in this meeting. Sam had been waiting for this day since a while now.

After all of us of the pack had assembled with every imprint sitting next to their wolf and Leah and Paul begrudgingly sitting next to one another, one by one all the council members Old Quil Ateara, Jason Cameron, Carl Littlesea, Ronnie Fuller, Thomas Smith, Rick Jones and Jim Rogers entered and took their seat in the living room and even Jake asked Sarah to stay back. The new imprints were introduced to the council and Billy said that the meeting should be started.

"What is this meeting about Samuel?" asked Old Quil

"Sam has not called this meeting" said Jake standing up "I have"

"What is this about?" asked Carl Littlesea surprised

Jake took a deep breath as all of us looked at him "I have decided to take my rightful position as the Alpha"

A few grins broke out amongst us all and even Billy and Sarah had huge smiles on their faces. I took Sam's hand in mine. He had been waiting for this since months now and was only waiting for Jake to say that he was ready.

"That is exceptional news young alpha" said Rick Jones "We are proud of you"

Jake mumbled something that sounded like 'you won't think so once I am done with today's meeting'

I looked at Sam questioningly and he just shrugged

Jake looked towards the rest of the pack "I have decided to stand up as your alpha if anyone of you has a problem with it you are free to fight me and assert the position"

Like expected no one opposed and everyone gave him their nod or a smile

"Samuel as the current alpha, are you willing to give away your power over this pack?" asked Billy

"Yes chief, I willingly give over my power as the current alpha" said Sam and Billy nodded his head

"Okay then so let's get this show on the road" said Jake and all of us followed him outside

One by one the entire pack phased and Jake went to each one of them and bit them on the neck to show dominance. With every bite you could see the power flow from Sam to him and his wolf becoming bigger in size. All of us observed in awe at the sight in front of us, seven horse sized wolves sitting in a circle facing one another. The colors of their coat ranging from Sam's black, Jared's brown, Paul's silver, Embry's grey with black spots to Quil's chocolate and Seth's sandy brown and lastly Jake's russet brown. I could feel Leah, Emily, Kim and Rachel come and stand next to me completely amazed at the sight in front of us.

Once it was over and Jake had bitten each one of them, they ran into the woods and came back out in human form a few minutes later. Even in human form Jake looked much bigger than before and he now held an aura of power and authority around him.

All of us went back to the living room to continue the meeting and sat back at our designated seats and Sam whispered in my ear to wait for the show that was now beginning.

"Now that I am the Alpha, I have a few announcements to make" said Jake

"What announcements Jacob?" asked Billy

"Firstly about whom my Beta will be"

"An Uley has always been the Beta just like a Black has been the Alpha that is non-negotiable" said Jim Rogers and all the council members agreed

Jake gritted his teeth "I don't care what the rules say, as the alpha I will make my own rules"

"And Samuel, you have nothing to say to this?" asked Ronnie Fuller

Sam shook his head "Actually no, Jacob told me about this yesterday and I think his way of deciding the Beta of this pack is better"

The council looked at him in shock not expecting him to say this.

"Then tell us what this way is" said Old Quil

Jake took a deep breath "The one who deserves it will get the position. They will have to prove it to me by their mental and physical strength on why they deserve this position"

"So what do you suggest a competition?" scowled Carl Littlesea with disdain on his face

"Yes something like that" said Jake with a smile "But before we come to the details of that, I have another announcement to make"

"And what is that?" asked Jason Cameron

Jake gave him a knowing smile and Sam squeezed my hand tighter in anticipation

"A lot of things that should not have happened and could have been clearly avoided have taken place in these past few months because of the bad decisions taken by the council"

"What do you mean by that Jacob?" said Billy in a stern voice

"I am saying that I don't approve of the decisions that this council has taken"

"It is not for you to approve or disapprove young alpha" said Old Quil

"Actually it is" said Jake "As the true Alpha I have changed a few rules, firstly everyone 'in my pack' is allowed to tell their parents the truth. I think that they deserve to know" he said looking at Embry and Paul and Embry breathe a sigh of relief as he clutched onto Rachel's hand

"But that is wrong" shouted Ronnie Fuller "We cannot trust them"

Jake gave out a bitter laugh and I could see both Embry and Paul shake a bit

"Are you trying to tell me that they can't trust their own mothers?" asked Jake and all of the council members looked a little ashamed

"Secondly because of the decision of not telling Leah Clearwater the truth by the council, we could have ended up with a huge catastrophe that was mildly avoided. Not only one but two imprints could have been harmed if it wasn't for Paul's smart thinking"

Ronnie Fuller opened his mouth to say something but Sam interrupted him with a glare "Be careful about what you speak on this matter" and Ronnie Fuller gulped and sat back on his chair

"I understand but that does not mean we go around telling everyone" said Jason Cameron

Jake nodded his head "I agree but some people fall under the list of people who deserve to know and I trust my pack that they have that much capability to decide who can be trusted and who cannot"

"But Jacob" said Jim Rogers and Jake told him to stop

"I am not done yet my third and final announcement is that the council will not be allowed to interfere in daily matters. My pack and I are compatible of taking decisions and we will only come to you when we need help"

Numerous murmurs started between the elders as they started protesting and even on our side of the room everyone had started talking. It was shock to all of us. For so long the council had asked for a report for every small thing that happened in the pack life.

"Silence" shouted Jake and everyone stopped talking immediately, his voice demanded respect

"Like I have said before, this is my pack that goes around endangering their lives and fighting bloodsuckers and I will be damned if I let someone who has no experience of ever phasing or risking his life for the benefit of the tribe give a judgment on whether we have done good or bad in killing a leech" said Jake

"You disrespect our judgment boy" said Rick Jones glaring at him

"No I am just stating a fact" said Jake shaking his head

"I don't agree with these 'new rules' that you have made. I think they are absolutely disrespectful to us and to your ancestors" said Carl Littlesea standing up

"Don't agree" said Jake nonchalantly and I saw Quil and Jared hide a laugh

"Do you realize you could get banished for this misdemeanor?" said Jim Rogers

"I actually do" said Jake "And I accept it. I will roam around like a lone wolf if I am banished from this pack and tribe"

"Jacob" chided Billy looking afraid and even Sarah looked scared. Embry quietly reassured Rachel that everything will be okay.

"Fine then" said Ronnie Fuller "We will have to ask Samuel to step up again"

Now everyone looked at Sam and I saw Jake give a slight nod to Sam.

"Actually I too have an announcement to make, if Jacob leaves the pack so do I" said Sam

Everyone again started murmuring with one another too shocked at this new development.

"Young Quil will take the honor. He is an Ateara after all and his ancestor was the third member of the first pack" said Old Quil proudly

Quil shook his head "No, grandpa if they leave so do I, pack unity remember?"

All the council members looked at one another speechless. Only a Black, Uley or Ateara could stand up for the position of the Alpha.

"But you can't leave a pack without an Alpha" shouted Carl Littlesea

"If both my best friends leave the pack so do I" said Embry

"Even I will leave" said Jared

"Same here" said Paul speaking for the first time in this conversation

"Yeah me too" said Seth

"I cannot believe this" muttered Old Quil angrily

"So there you go, if you don't like my new rules, all of us will leave and you can phase yourself and form a new pack" said Jake glaring at them

"Jacob, this is becoming too much. We can negotiate and come to a midpoint" said Billy

Jake shook his head "No, we respect your opinion but I will not let the council interfere anymore in our personal lives"

"Think about the imprints, they have lives here. They will not want to be banished from the tribe" said Thomas Smith

Sam looked at me with trust in his eyes and I knew what I had to say

"I will leave with Sam if it comes to that" Even if I was asked to leave La Push I would gladly leave with Sam

"I already live on the Makah reservation" said Emily shrugging

"I too will leave if need be" said Rachel and Sarah had almost started crying

"Me too" whispered Kim

"With my brother and sister leaving, I will have no reason to stay" said Leah avoiding looking at Paul

Billy sighed and looked at the other council members "Give us some time to talk in private"

All of us nodded our heads and walked out of the house

"Was this all preplanned?" I asked Sam surprised

He nodded his head "Jake had told me what he was going to do when we spoke yesterday Quil rejecting the offer was a risk we took. If he would have accepted it we both would have to leave the pack"

"Dude of course I was going to reject it" said Quil holding Emily's hand

"I know my dad is an elder but I was so tired of them asking us every small detail about us phasing and patrolling and how we killed the leech and how we could have done better" said Jared sighing

"Same here, we had no freedom. They were using Sam as a puppet. This was the only way I could have taken the power from them" said Jake

We spoke for some more time telling the others what all had happened since Sam's first phase before we were all called inside.

Billy sighed loudly when we all sat at our designated places

"You leave us with no choice Jacob but to accept your terms"

Most of the council members were scowling at Jake and the rest of us.

"Thank you" said Jake "As I said we respect your opinions and if we need any sort of advice, we will come to you but from now on I will be conducting the pack meetings with just the pack in attendance"

The council members nodded their heads before leaving the house and Billy asked to talk to Jake in private.

All of us left the house and everyone went their own way, Quil was going to leave to drive Emily back to Makah and Leah and Seth went home, Paul and Jared went for their patrol and Embry went to drop Rachel home.

Sam and I walked back to his house as I had come here in Emily's car and Sam had run here.

"So things are changing" I said with hope in my voice

He nodded his head "Whatever is coming is big and we need to be strong for it"

"You still think there is some danger looming?"

"With so many phasing yes"

I nodded my head

"But we still have time for that. Let me take you out for dinner tonight. We need to celebrate"

I nodded my head as he took my hand in his and walked us back to his house.


	19. Chapter 19

Thank you Taylor9901, MammaNita4, sarae32, catgrl, Sassy Mami, Beuty6, brankel1, MageVicky and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

A/N: Everything I write is from my imagination. I don't mean to offend any person or community in general with my work. Thank you and I hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 19-

Jacob POV:

Stone faced

That is the only word that crossed my mind when I saw my father sitting across me at this very moment. His face lay completely expressionless, not even giving me a hint of what was on his mind. William Black Jr had always mastered the poker face expression and even in his youth, my mother had told me that no one ever knew what Billy Black actually thought until he opened his mouth to tell them so. I stared at him, nervously shifting at my feet as he looked outside our window at the water droplets that were currently cascading from the sky and roughly hitting our front yard. It was just the both of us at this moment in the living room of my house. My mother had made the excuse of going to buy grocery as soon as everyone else left leaving us both to talk.

"Dad, I" I started when I could no longer bear the silence. At this moment I would gladly accept anger instead of this torturous silent treatment that he was practicing.

His eyes diverted themselves from observing outside the window and looked at me. His hardened face making me wish that the ground would open up and pull me in. He had always been able to get that reaction from the person standing in front of him. One look from him and even an atrocious criminal would wither on spot, accepting every crime that he had ever committed. My paternal grandfather often used to joke that this was a Black trait and every Black descendant possessed it. At the tender age of five I always used to wonder if I would ever be able to garner such a reaction and be able to master this face that my father, grandfather, great grandfather and to some extent even Rebecca possessed and eleven years later I was still wondering of this. Even today Rebecca was a scary woman when she wanted to be and I often pitied Solomon, her husband for that.

He sighed heavily once, before motioning me to sit on the couch and I mentally prepared myself for the long conversation we were going to have. From my early days, I had always been closer to my mother than my father being the youngest pampered child of this family. Though dad and I spoke and were open to one another I wouldn't call our relationship of one of friends or equals. He was my father and he commanded that respect from us and so I would be lying if I said that I wasn't terrified of his reaction. I may be the Alpha of a pack but I was still his sixteen year old son who did not want his parents to be disappointed in him.

"Son" he said looking at me and I impatiently waited for him to continue "one of my earliest childhood memories is of my father holding me in his arms while I watched my wrinkled, stooped grandfather explode into a giant russet colored wolf. He and his two other pack mates were old and just like them their wolf forms were ancient too with grizzled muzzles and stiff joints. I remember they made a noise like laughter as they went for one last run through the woods" he said with a sad smile on his face as if reminiscing those days.

"I always used to dream of becoming a wolf and would often wish that a stray vampire would foolishly wander into our lands activating the gene within me but it never happened. When I was twenty and it finally hit me that it was never going to happen I had been thoroughly disappointed. I had grown up in a different world where magic was real and so was evil. I had dreamt of being a powerful wolf, a savior to my tribe and it had been hard to accept when it did not happen so, though I soon realized that it was probably for the best that vampires stayed away from our land. I got a chance to live a normal life and became a man with a family. I loved the peace of this small town and vowed to keep my wife and daughters safe. Then you were born and I saw the curse of the wolf heritage for the first time"

"Why" I asked him surprised. I had always thought that he was proud of the fact that I was a shape shifter.

"I wanted you to have the peaceful life that I had lived. I fervently hoped that vampires would never trouble our tribe again but alas" he said with a grim expression on his face

"Oh" I whispered not knowing what to say to this. I had never been one to ponder about the if's and buts in life. My philosophy was simple I could either accept the situation and learn to live it graciously or I could worry about what did not happen and waste away my life and needless to say I always chose the first option.

"Jacob, I never wanted this life for you, believe me" he said and I nodded my head at the sincerity in his voice "But I am proud of you nonetheless for stepping up and taking your responsibilities"

"What?" I asked him shocked. I had half expected him to chide me and tell me that he was disappointed in me.

"Son, being the Alpha was ingrained in your blood and I am proud of you for stepping up and making your ancestors proud and that also at the young age of sixteen is commendable"

A fleeting thought appeared in my mind "Would you have been ashamed of me if I would have refused to take up this position?" In all these days that I had been a wolf and all those months before when I had known of this mythical world, it had always been assumed that someday I would take my rightful position. It had never been a matter of if I wanted it or not.

He was quiet for a few minutes as he observed me nervously gaze at him and shift my leg continuously

"It would be a lie if I said I wouldn't" he continued before I could say anything else "Hear me out son, I was raised with different values than you. My father never hid this world from me. I knew that this world existed since the time I could read and write and so I had always expected to be a part of this world and take up the Alpha ship one fine day. My father used to call it an honor bestowed upon our family and even more than me, he had been upset when the gene skipped my generation too. He had thought that it was just a coincidence that his generation did not phase. I couldn't understand why at that time, he had so desperately wanted me to do the tribe proud, like his father had done but maybe a part of me now understands" He whispered the last part

"But our generation was kept in the dark, you never told us the truth, why?"

He sighed "We thought that even you would be exempt from this and so the council decided not to ruin your life by showing you a world you may never have to be a part of. All of us Quil the fourth, Josh Uley, Harry Clearwater, Jason Cameron, Aaron Lahote knew of this world from our early days and thought that it would be better if our children didn't know of this"

I felt anger course through my veins at this statement and I got up from my place on the couch and started pacing the living room floor.

"Okay let's assume my generation skipped the gene and so did my son's generation. Do you realize the cluster fuck that would occur if my grandson's generation phased and no one would have the answers to provide because our elders did not feel like telling us this" I spat out

"Jacob" he chided me

"No dad, answer me. Were you never going to tell me all of this in case I had not phased?"

His silent look told me all that I needed to know, they would have hidden it from us our entire life.

"Jacob, the council thought…"

"I don't give a rat's ass what the council thinks, dad" I shouted "Do you realize what Sam had to go through because of this secrecy. He felt like he will never become human again. He thought of killing himself in those days as that was better than living the life of a man trapped in an animal's body. I know this because I share a mind with that said man"

He looked slightly ashamed by my words.

"Dad, I know you don't approve of my 'new rules' and that is fine by me because someone has to think of the pack and I know that none of you do and I am thankful that I came to know of this world much before I phased as I got to observe on what was going on and got to think about it beforehand"

"Jacob calm down and sit back on the couch" he said in his stern voice and I reluctantly sat down on the couch waiting for him to continue

"Son, I may be old but I still understand the difference between right and wrong or at least I still try to. We as a council only want what is good for our people, maybe our actions are not always what people expect from us but our intentions are not bad. None of our generation phased Jacob and so we don't know what you and your pack mates are going through. We only have a bunch of old half torn books to rely on and they may not always be accurate and so we kept asking you for information. I agree that we did get selfish at a point and misused our status and powers but unexpected power often does that to you. You tend to forget that your responsibility is also as high as the power you hold and a part of me already knew that this day was soon approaching"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked hesitantly

He took a deep breath "The council was not always like this, we were a bunch of young enthusiastic people who were level headed in our decision making process then Josh Uley left after which Quil died and so did Harry and a few years later Aaron left town too and in their place new replacements were brought onto the council who craved power more than the responsibility that came with it. I know that blaming them completely would be wrong too as I am equally to blame for this. I was the chief, I could have put my foot down but I was scared"

"Scared of what?" I asked skeptically

"Scared that they would ask me to give up my position as the chief of this tribe if I went against the majority"

"So you chose the coward's way out?" I said with disgust. For once I wasn't seeing my father as the strong resilient man that I had known all my life.

"I had no choice, you were not ready yet" he said losing his calm demeanor

"Ready for what" I asked

"To be the chief, our family has held this position since generations. Before me my father was the chief and after me you would be, but you are not ready for it yet unfortunately. I thought that I would have more time but after this I don't know how the council will react as this was my son who disrespected his elders"

He sighed "Jacob, earlier the situation was different when I could walk and roam around but with being confined to a wheelchair I cannot do my duty properly and I had always thought that in a few years I would be able to give you this responsibility and retire in peace"

"I don't even want to be the chief" I shouted "No, this is just not fair you can't force me to give away my entire life. You just preplanned my entire life for me and expect me to just accept it with a smile. Did everyone in the council know of this?"

"Of course, as the chief's son you are the prince of our tribe. It was obvious that you would be the next chief" he said with the pride evident on his face as I looked at him flabbergasted.

"And you did not bother informing me this before today?"

He sighed heavily as if this was a big burden on his head "Jacob…"

"No, I can't deal with this right now" I said leaving the house in haste and phasing, not even bothering that my clothes would tear in the process. The fact that I was on my last pair of cutoffs barely registered in my mind. I would deal with that problem later as for now I had no plans of returning back on two legs anytime soon. My father could shove it up for all I care.

I was livid. I wanted to tear down trees and everything else that dared to stand in my way and if I thought even for a minute that it would have helped calm me, I would have readily done so but instead I used all my pent up energy to move my legs as fast as they could. Now that I was the Alpha I was faster than anyone else and I felt the cold wind gush through the air as I let my paws dash as fast as they could not even bothering of the destination. I just needed this freedom right now.

My life felt like one big fat lie. Did I have any choices left in life or were they all supposed to be taken away from me? First they lied to me about this world and the fact that there was a high probability that one fine I could explode and share a body with a wolf. Then they told me become the Alpha, it is your birthright and even though this was not what I wanted from life, I accepted it happily. Heck I never even wanted this in the first place yet I hardly protested. Now they tell me that I am supposed to be the future chief of this tribe. It is an honor I agree and respect the position but I don't want it. Does no one give a damn about my free will? I refuse to be a puppet in someone else's hands. Did my mother know of this, had she too agreed to this? What my father told me right now was not a choice but a fucking compulsion, a compulsion I refuse to accept come hell or high water. Is it so difficult to have free will in life?

I am not a coward, I am not scared of taking responsibilities but shouldn't I have a say in such a life changing decision and shouldn't the chief be someone who really wants to be the chief in the first place. Why give the responsibility to a person who did not even want it in the first place and would such a person even be able to do good for the others?

I was raging with anger. How could my own damn father throw such a bombshell on me and expect me to be okay with it. What about my dreams and plans? Is there someone up there sitting and laughing maniacally, saying 'Oh there is a sacrifice to be made? Let it go in Jacob Black's Kitty'

I kept thrashing through the woods growling and howling in a way of removing my frustration. Suddenly I felt my other pack mates phase and my mind was bombarded with questions.

"Jake, are you okay?" asked Sam

"Is it a Leech? We could feel your anger" said Jared

"Bro you okay?" asked Quil

"Where are you Jake?" asked Embry

I tuned out of their conversation. I did not want them in my head right now. I wanted to be alone. My thoughts unconsciously drifted towards my conversation with my father just a few hours back. Was it just a few hours back? It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Shit" said Jared getting a read on my thoughts

"How can they do that?" said Embry appalled

Quil gave out a bitter laugh "It is the council dude, they do the unexpected. I am just lucky that shamanism cannot be passed down the line and depends from person to person on whom has it in him or my grandpa would definitely be pushing this down my throat"

"This sucks man" said Paul grumbling

"Thanks Paul! I had no idea of that" I muttered sarcastically

Paul scowled "No need for the wise comments man"

"How are you doing Jake?" asked Embry

"Peachy" I said through gritted teeth

They started having an internal conversation grumbling why the council drama just doesn't end. Were we ever supposed to get a break?

"Enough everyone" said Sam. His booming voice ringing in my ear, his voice still held a certain authority to it.

"Phase out everyone. He needs time to think of this alone" commanded Sam "Jake if you are in any danger, howl we will be nearby and one of us will check on you in a few hours"

All of them phased out and I thanked Sam once again for intervening.

I ran all the way to California before letting my feet relax on the purple sand on Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California. One good thing about being a wolf was the fact that you could go anywhere and see any place without worrying about traveling and accommodation. Just run where you want and see what you want.

After spending a few good hours near the beach though hiding where no one would see me, I returned to La Push. It was midnight by the time I made my way home. Luckily my parents were sleeping and I did not have to deal with a confrontation I knew was coming. Mom had left me dinner in the microwave and I quickly ate it. Running always made me hungrier and I had not felt like eating in the wild today. After dinner I walked to my room to think about my next plan of action. There had to be a way out without having to sacrifice my dreams, though that was one of the reasons why I didn't want anything to do with being the chief, the other and more important one was that I just didn't think I was cut out for this responsibility. I would have made a lousy chief and better to not be a chief than to be a lousy one. It was almost like your parents forcing you to join the family business when you are least interested in it and want to pursue something completely different. There had to be some way out of it and if I had to straightaway refuse then I would readily do so not bothering of the consequences. With this thought in mind I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning I woke up before anyone else and quickly showered readying myself to leave the house. I would do anything to avoid my father at this moment. After scribbling a note for mom informing her that I was okay and was going for a quick run, I ran out of the house and phased on a blink.

Quil and Jared were on patrol and I was immediately attacked by the thoughts of Emily and Kim. I rolled my eyes imprinted wolves were so predictable.

"Hey man, you okay?" asked Jared when he heard my thoughts in the pack mind

I gave him a nod in reply.

For the hundredth time I was glad that even though Sam was no longer the Alpha, he had been kind enough to manage the pack and distribute patrolling duties in my absence. Soon I would have to take over and appoint my Beta too. I had had plans for that but they had been pushed back because of all of this new drama. I took over Quil's patrol as a thank you for him running my patrol yesterday and also because he wanted to run down to Neah Bay to see Emily. Her sister in Law had given birth to a girl they named Hannah early today and he could feel her happiness and excitement. I rolled my eyes at his lovesick puppy antics as I started running at the border. Jared kept to himself leaving me to my own thoughts and after patrolling for a few hours and making sure that everything was okay I made my way to Sam's house. Like I said I would do anything to avoid my father at this moment.

Sam and Bella had become like older siblings to all of us in the pack and I respected them both a lot and especially Sam. He had helped me a lot in the early days when I was yet to phase but knew about the pack. Bella was at work when I reached his house and Sam was sitting opposite the TV watching the game while drinking beer. I sat next to him as we gulped down beer and saw the game, eating whatever was in the house. Soon we were joined by Embry and Paul and Sam left to run his patrol while the three of us decided to go cliff diving. Cliff diving was one of the best parts of our supernatural strength and the fact that we were nearly invincible. Jumping from the highest cliffs near second beach had a thrill of its own and the adrenaline rush that pumped into me was rejuvenating and helped me forget all my troubles. After jumping a few times in that ice cold water we made our way back to Sam's house where no doubt bottomless pits like us would get dinner.

By the time I made my way back home it was close to eleven and I just hoped that my father had decided to call it an early night and was already asleep.

I slowly opened the front door with the spare key I had, careful to not make much noise though it was futile as unluckily my father was sitting in the living room waiting for me, in complete darkness. With the help of my eyesight I was able to see him but I had a doubt that his vision would have been clear enough in this much darkness.

"Jacob is that you?" he asked warily

Half of my mind wanted to just run into my room and act as if everything was normal and I had not been the one to just open the door but another part of mine knew how childish this idea was.

"Yeah dad in the flesh"

"Switch on the light and come sit here"

I switched on the light and reluctantly went and sat opposite him on the couch

"Why were you sitting in darkness?" I asked him

He shrugged "Just thinking"

'Okay' I sighed. This did not look like such a good sign considering the circumstances. I took a look at his face. He had huge bags under his eyes and he looked despondent. Age had not been very kind to him and after his accident which had left him bound to a wheelchair for life he had aged ten years overnight and though I hardly had any memory of that accident that claimed Harry's life too, my father always said that it was a miracle that he had survived that fateful rainy day. Also the fact that he had diabetes and frail health had worsened his condition.

"Son" he started taking a deep breath "I wanted to apologize for my actions before. I should not have thrown this information on you. It was wrong of me"

I nodded my head in agreement a bit shocked in the first place. This was probably the last thing I had expected.

"I understand if you don't want to be the chief. I don't want to force my decisions on you. This is your life after all" he said as if reading out from a script, which made me feel a bit suspicious.

"What brought about this change?"

He gave out a small laugh "Your mother. She made me see the errors in my way, of course after she threatened to give me a divorce if I tried to ruin your happiness"

'Whoa!' I exclaimed shocked. I knew that my mother loved her children to bits but I had hardly expected her to jeopardize her own marriage for us.

"Do you really mean this?" I asked

"Of course Jacob, I agree I had no right to demand this from you. I am not my father and you are not me, you are yourself and it had been wrong of me to expect you to do something that you did not want to in the first place. I will not force this upon you like my father had forced it upon me"

I nodded my head. William Black my grandfather had always been a hard to please man and I knew that he had had the tendency to push his decisions on his children, which had led to many arguments between him and them growing up. Till his last breath when I was six, my Aunts Connie Littlesea and Nora Black refused to talk to him and even the other two Aunt Jennie and Emmie hardly spoke to him when they visited. His only child who was on good terms with him was his son.

"I will talk to the council and see what happens next. Maybe I can pull in a few more years till they can decide on who takes over after me" "Jacob, are you sure about this that you never want to be the chief or do you still just want time? If it is about time I will not hurry up on you, you can take how much ever time you want, you are still young"

I shook my head "No dad, I am very clear about this. To be the chief is not something I want from life and I know that my decision will not change"

He sighed and nodded his head

I sat opposite him in silence for a few minutes

"Do you think maybe Embry will be interested? It will at least stay in the family" he whispered. I could see the desperation in his eyes and for a second I felt bad for him. The honor that the surname 'Black' held in this tribe did mean a lot to him as he had been hard-wired to think so since he was a child.

"I don't know dad" I said honestly "I will ask him though"

He nodded his head and wheeled himself back to his room.

I sat there for a few more minutes before switching the light off and walking towards my room.

The next morning I woke up to the tantalizing smell of bacon and eggs. I quickly made my way towards the dining area and started hogging on the food placed in front of me.

"You will get late for school if you don't get ready now" said my father in a stern voice

"I have to go to school today?" I asked him mildly shocked. I had become so used to the routine of patrolling twice a day and then lazing out the rest of the time.

He gave me an annoyed look "Last I checked you were still a student in La Push High. You are allowed to miss school when it is required, not everyday"

I pouted in protest before mom raised her eyebrows in disapproval and I quickly made my way to my room to get dressed for school. I soon left for school in my rabbit picking Embry and Quil on the way.

The day passed by slowly and even a few teachers glanced my way twice when they saw that I was marked present for the day. Luckily they had been informed in advance that they were not supposed to question us on our absence. After school I dropped Quil to his house before Embry and I made our way to mine.

Mom and Dad were waiting for us in the living room and we quickly seated ourselves opposite them.

"Embry, I have something to talk to you about" said dad

"Yes Billy, tell me" said Embry

Dad took a deep breath before continuing "As you know I am the current chief of this tribe. The honor of being the chief has been in our family since generations and all of us have worked very hard to keep it so. Due to my current condition I want to retire now as I feel I am unable to do my duty any longer. I offered to give this position to Jacob as my father had given it to me but he refuses" he took a minute before speaking again "As my daughter's Rachel's imprinter I offer you this position as you will be a Black through marriage. To accept or not is completely in your hands"

Embry was quiet for a few minutes as he contemplated of the answer.

Finally he shook his head "I am sorry Billy. I can't accept this. I have my own reasons for this…"

Dad nodded his head looking resigned.

"So now what will happen?" I asked

"I will have to talk to the council and a new chief will have to be appointed through voting. Only once has it been documented where a Black was not the chief"

"When?" I asked curiously

"Ephraim's father Joseph died when Ephraim was a toddler and there was no one to take over, at that time Thomas Uley had become the chief but after Ephraim grew up, Thomas took a step back and retired"

"Didn't Levi want to be the chief?" asked Embry

Dad shook his head with a small smile on his face "No, he had no desire to be the chief and was happy to let Ephraim be the Alpha as well as chief"

I nodded my head when an Epiphany suddenly hit me 'Uley' 'Sam'

"Sam" I mumbled out incoherently

"What?" asked dad

"We can ask Sam if he wants to be the chief. He is responsible, we all know that and people respect him. He is honest and does his work efficiently. Also his surname will work in his favor"

Embry nodded his head agreeing with me while dad just sat opposite us in silence.

"No harm in trying" he said sighing after a few minutes

"So when do you want to talk to him?" I asked

"No better time than the present"

I nodded my head before helping him into the car as Embry sat on the passenger seat and I drove the short distance to Sam's house.

Sam was reading through some papers when we entered.

"Is everything okay?" said Sam getting up from his seat

"Yes Sam, everything is okay" said Embry

"Samuel, I wanted to talk to you about something"

"Yes chief" said Sam as we all sat on the couch in his living room. Dad quickly gave him a rundown version before telling him what his duties will be as the chief. He will have to look after the entire tribe and matters pertaining to it like education, health, senior citizen programs and religious programs amongst others. He will be conducting funerals and weddings and will have to go to social gatherings.

"You will have to be available for the people twenty four hours a day seven days a week and they will come to you in case they have any problem" said Dad "If you agree to stand up for this position, I will have to talk to the council and voting will take place. You are already an elder in the council so you are privy of our inner workings"

Sam did not say anything for a few minutes as we all stared at him.

"Can I take some time to think about this?" asked Sam

Dad nodded his head "Of course, let us know when you take your decision"

We soon left after talking to Sam for some more time. I dropped dad back at the house before phasing and taking my turn of patrolling.

The next few days passed by quickly. Sam had yet not given his answer to us of whether he accepted or not. I was once again running the borders. Paul was today on patrol with me and he was an even bigger pain in the ass since he had decided to fight this imprint. The man in him wanted to date other girls but the wolf refused to budge as he only wanted to worship Leah and the fact that he and Leah hardly spoke was not helping his case.

Suddenly I heard a new voice in my head through the pack mind

"Help me" shouted the voice

I had no idea who this was as I had never heard this voice before and I was sure this was not a pack member.

"Hey who is this?" I asked

The person kept shouting 'help me' before showing me muddled thoughts. From his thoughts I knew that he had just phased for the first time and was terrified but the fact that he had phased in the first place meant that he was Quileute.

"You idiot" said Paul slightly bored "If you don't tell us who you are and where you are how will we help you. As of now your thoughts are only succeeding in giving me a headache"

"Paul" I chided him and he rolled his eyes

"Who are you?" I asked him calmly

"Ben Peterson" he said in a scared voice

The name seemed unfamiliar

"Where are you?"

"Alaska. I was here on a holiday. I don't know what happened"

"How old are you pup?" asked Paul

"Fourteen" he replied slightly shaking from fear

Shit!

"Have you ever heard of the Quileute legends?"

He shook his head panicking. His thoughts told me that he had lived in Florida all his life and had never even been to La Push.

"Fuck" I said "Okay no need to panic. You are a shape shifter now just like all of us"

"Will I be able to become human again?"

"Yes" I replied giving him a short version of our legends and the pack. I was glad that for once Paul was staying quiet.

"Paul, go to Alaska and talk to his parents. He will need to come to La Push and help him in phasing back"

"Okay boss" he mumbled before running in the direction of Alaska. Even if he ran at top speed it would take him hours before he reached there.

I continued patrolling while checking on Ben every few hours.

I had just gone to bed when I was woken up by an urgent howl in the middle of the night.

I quickly phased. Quil was the only one on patrol.

"What's wrong Quil?" I asked before it registered in my mind that someone else was phased too.

"You hear that?" asked Quil "I just phased and heard this in the pack mind"

I nodded my head "Another newbie?"

"Yup looks so"

The newest recruit of our pack lived in Vancouver, Canada and was seventeen. He had just phased an hour back for the first time and luckily was not panicking as much as Ben. He had heard of the legends before though.

"Quil go wake up Sam. Tell him to run to Canada. He has the most experience out of all of us. I have sent Paul to Alaska"

Quil quickly phased out and I explained to Jason the basics.

After overseeing that Sam had left for Canada, I went back to my home to sleep.

As my head touched the bed my last thought was "Why the fuck are so many phasing?"

A/N: I have a question for the readers, do you want Sam to be the next chief or not? As of now I have left it open ended.


	20. Chapter 20

Thank you catgrl, Taylor9901, brankel1, Sassy Mami, MammaNita4, sarae32 and Cokey90 for your reviews.

A/N: Everything I write is from my imagination and falls strictly under the category of FICTION. I don't mean to offend any person or community in general with my work. Thank you and I hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 20-

Being the chief was a job not a position, a job that would require Sam to be available, here in La Push for his people at any given time of the day irrespective whether it was day or night or Sunday or Monday. Mundane things like time or days of the week didn't matter. He would have to be here for his people and if they had any problem, be it small or big, they could come to him expecting a solution which Sam would try his best to provide. There were no holidays in this job or the possibility of working nine to five and then returning home leaving your stressful work life separate from your pleasant family life.

So when Sam had told me over dinner almost a month back, what Billy and Jake had proposed, my first instinct had been to panic. It was a life changing decision after all, a decision that could take our life on a completely different path than what we had originally planned. Even though Sam had a few ideas of his own on this matter, he had felt that it was important to ask me of what I felt he should do or as he put it, what I felt we should do as I was in this as much as him. I was his imprint, his girlfriend and someday in future, his wife. If his life was tied down to La Push so would be mine. If he couldn't leave La Push neither could I. Not being native, I had had very few if not any knowledge of what being a chief meant. The only thing I had known was that Billy had been the chief, nothing more and nothing less. Sam had tried his best to explain it to me but like many others of our generation, even the information he contained was limited and so I had gone to meet Sarah Black, the one person who would know this the best, after all if Sam accepted I would be stepping in, in her shoes. Sam and I had decided that it was better to take an informed decision than to take one in haste and then regret. The next two weeks had been spent in researching and talking to people who could guide us on what we should do. Even though Sam was mature and responsible for his age, at the end of the day he was only nineteen and needed as much good guidance as any nineteen year old facing a life altering decision would need. Billy had decided not to let this proposition that he had made known to anyone till Sam refused or accepted and so the only people who were in Knowing were Billy, Sarah, Jake, Embry, Rachel, Sam, me, Charlie and Sue, the latter two had been told by me as they were two people who I could completely trust to guide us towards the correct path. Jake had ordered Sam and Embry not to think of this when they were phased so that no one else would find out before time and everyone we spoke to had a different opinion for us to provide.

First I had gone to meet Sarah and Sam had spoken to Billy as they were the ones who would know best what it meant, as we would be taking their position. Sarah had told me in detail of what being the chief's wife meant also telling me that there were days when Billy had put the tribe and his duty towards it before Sarah and their children and she had accepted it with a smile as was expected of her even if it had hurt her to do so. Being the chief's wife was not easy and there would be a few sacrifices on my road too if I chose to accept this life. Supporting Sam however I could would be my first priority and though she had said that she and Billy would always be there for us if we needed them, I knew that if Sam became the chief our responsibilities would triple overnight forcing us to mature. Because of the accelerated growth that the pack went through when they phased for the first time, Sam had the mental capacity of a twenty five year old and even though it was not as mature as required of a leader of that stature, he was capable of being the chief and would be an excellent one too but was I ready to be the chief's wife? I was only eighteen and being a responsible child/teenager and being a responsible leader were definitely not cut from the same cloth. It would be a completely different ball game to which I would have to adapt as much as Sam would.

Sarah had helped as much as she could but the next person who I had spoken to this about was Rachel. Rachel had been one of my oldest friends and a sort of elder sister to me growing up and she had never steered me wrong till date. Another motive of taking her opinion on this was that being the current chief's daughter she knew what she was talking about and even though Sam and I had no children as of now or had plans of having in the immediate future, we did not want to take any decision that would compromise on their future. It was strange how I had known her all my life but never spoken to her about this before. She told me how it was growing up for her and the difficulties they three faced growing up and also the good parts of their father being such a respectable man in the community, which had helped me a bit to reach my decision. Luckily we had the choice of accepting or rejecting as it had not been enforced upon us so we could consider the pros and cons of taking this decision.

Sam on the other hand had spoken to Billy at length on what it would mean for him, me and our families. One concern that he had raised was that I was white. Would the tribe accept their chief's wife to be non native? Luckily Charlie and I had not faced much discrimination till now living on the res but would they accept me as their leader or would it hinder Sam's role in the community?

Billy had assured us that it would not be a problem as the tribe had always treated Charlie and me as one of their own, since Charlie had literally grown up playing on the res with Billy and Harry amongst others of their age and had often helped the tribe in time of need. Another point had been that even Old Quil who is the local shaman had married Molly Swan my great aunt, who had been white and lastly Billy had said that I was Sam's imprint and the most important law of the council was that imprints were sacred as it could not be controlled and so the council could not take that against Sam, even if the other members of the tribe had no knowledge of it and listening to him I had only hoped that Sam would be judged on the basis of his credentials and not on anything else.

The last two people who we both had gone to meet were Charlie and Sue. It had not made sense to tell Leah or Seth anything as of now in case of Sam refusing. Sue had given me a more basic view of the council and its workings as just like Sarah I would be allowed to be an elder if I chose to. Charlie had spoken to us about the monetary aspect of this decision. I was in my senior year and Sam had just graduated the previous year. Taking this opportunity would mean that I could not go to college or at least not anywhere far as the distance would be painful for Sam. He had asked us what our future plans were and how we were going to afford to pay the bills. Yes, Sam would be earning but it would not be able to provide us anything more than the necessities and I was still undecided of what I wanted in life. Working at Dowling's was good for now but I definitely did not want to work there twenty years from now. Maybe if this offer had not come banging our door, important conversations like these would not have occurred till a few more years but because the opportunity had arisen now, so had these questions. Also Sam had always wanted to travel and see new places which had not been possible until now and with this would only remain a distant dream. We could even manage a few days to go somewhere nearby but nothing more than that. Did we want a future like that where we would never see anything outside the state or if we were lucky, anything outside the west coast?

There were too many questions and very few answers and even the pack had started to suspect that something was off as dinner time was now officially off limits for the pack, as that was the time Sam and I had our long discussions. Even If I had not already loved Sam enough I would have fallen in love with him seeing this side of his. He had repeatedly assured me that this was our decision instead of only his and he would let it go if I was not comfortable or if I wanted something else from life and at every step he had made sure that I was happy with the conclusion we had reached. Small gestures such as these where he showed me that he cared about me and my feelings were the ones that truly mattered and left a huge smile on my face whenever I remembered them.

Amidst all of this another hurdle that had come our way had been two new boys Ben and Jason phasing. Of course the fact that their ages were less was concern worthy and Ben was hardly fourteen but the more difficult part had been that they were not from La Push. They had never even visited so how they had phased living so far was an enigma for the rest of us.

Ben lived in Florida with his father who had raised him alone after his mother expired during childbirth and had gone to Alaska to visit his aunt who lived there when he had come across a golden eyed vampire in passing though he had assumed her to be human at the time, which had lead him to explode in the middle of nowhere. Luckily he had been alone at the time. The tricky part had been that when his genealogy had been studied it had been found out that he got the gene from his mother's side that was somehow linked in the Ateara family tree, leaving an unassuming father completely out of the loop. No one knew what to tell his father who was non native and had absolutely no idea of these legends. Paul had been the one to rush to Alaska to get the boy back after he had phased for the first time as it was important that any wolf stay in La Push or at least till they had basic control over their phasing. After reaching there, running at his best speed and helping the frightened boy phase back, they had thought of what to tell his father and his relatives who would definitely take notice of his sudden absence. Jake had run to Alaska knowing that he would be needed there as the Alpha and with Sam in Canada helping the second one to phase on the same night, Jason they could not afford to have any more wolves off the land. All of the remaining pack members had been told to patrol the reservation tightly in three of their best fighter's absence. Jake had spoken to Adam Peterson and had explained to him all there was to know and Adam had taken it in stride but another problem that he had risen was that he had lived in Florida all his life and even if he wanted to it was nearly impossible for him to leave everything behind including his business and the social life had had maintained all these years and relocate to a place he had only heard about a few times. He had offered to take Ben with him and see that his anger would be in control but Jake had refused saying that it was too much of a risk and if he had phased it was for a reason and the spirits needed him to come to La Push. Adam had reluctantly agreed saying that he would need at least a few months to pack everything back in Florida and to arrange the living arrangements in La Push or somewhere nearby where he could find work. Jake had assured him that Ben would be looked after in his absence and with one phone call it had been decided that he would be staying with Charlie and Sue. Sue's maternal side would make sure that Ben was okay and Seth being the same age and in the same grade in school would be able to help him in adjusting. Also with my room now empty they had the space to redecorate it as temporarily his. So at the end of three long days Jake, Paul and Ben had run back to La Push with Ben's father making the excuse to his relatives that they were flying back early due to Ben's sudden illness.

Sam on the other hand had gone to Vancouver, Canada to get Jason Wilde back. Jason was a distant relative of the Wilde family that was Sarah's ancestral lineage and even Sarah had not known of his family before this. Jason's grandfather had left the reservation in his youth and had never returned cutting all ties with his brothers and sisters. They had now lived in Canada for two generations and though Jason had heard the legends from his grandmother as stories when he visited he had never thought anything more of it. After explaining everything to the clueless Wilde family, they had agreed to relocate to Forks as it was slightly bigger than the reservation with more opportunities to work and stay making Jason the first wolf who was officially going to live off tribal land and though there was a treaty forbidding the wolves from phasing in Forks as that was Cullen territory, Billy had spoken to their leader Carlisle who had agreed to make an exception for Jason stating that he would be the only one allowed to phase in Forks but could not patrol in the area as Forks was their territory and so their move had been facilitated after a long week of planning. Sam had stayed in Canada for the entire week to help Jason control his erratic temper making me miss him terribly and also giving me a little chest pain from the distance though when he had returned he had made sure to pay up for it in his usual sweet romantic way. Sam was never one for PDA and neither was I and so his romantic gestures were often only for my eyes, just the way I liked them to be.

With Jason had come his parents and his twelve year old sister Claire who surprisingly was also Seth's imprint. He had imprinted on her when Sue had sent him to deliver some muffins to the newly relocated Wilde family as a gesture to welcome them in town and in a truly chick flick though adorable manner Claire had been the one to open the door when Seth had rung the bell with his trademark smile on his face. One look was all it took and they had stared at each other for long with neither of the smiles leaving their face. When Jason had found out of this he had been livid and had almost killed Seth before the others managed to stop him. Seth had assured Jason and everyone else that his feelings for Claire were far from romantic and he only saw her as a friend. He was fourteen and she was still twelve so his wolf was not yet at that stage and only wanted to be a good friend to her. Looking at the young age of Claire it had been decided that she should not know of the imprinting yet though she was aware that her brother and his friends were shape shifters and so Seth had become the best friend a girl could ask for and even if she didn't know it yet, she was now a wolf girl and just like the pack protects their brothers, the wolf girls are there for one of their own.

Other than that the only thing noteworthy to occur in this past month had been the two stray vampires that the pack had managed to kill but Sam had felt that they were more of informers than strays who had lost their way and come too close to the Quileute territory. What they were looking for and who were they to inform no one knew off. Other than that they had also found a few scents that were coming close to the border but then suddenly disappearing. It had been decided that if they were not able to find any answers soon they would ask the Cullen's if they knew anything of this.

Today was the day of decision as the both of us were going to meet Billy and Jake to give our final decision and I was a bunch of nerves even if I knew what the final decision was. How would they take it and what would be their reaction? Also the fact that was this the right decision or were we making a mistake that we would come to repent in the future?

I had first opted out of this meeting offering Sam to go alone and get it done with as my nervousness would not let me relax but after looking at his tense face as he nodded his head, I had changed my mind. If this was difficult for me it was difficult for him too and whatever happened in this meeting or any other meeting in the future for that matter, we were in this together, a team and so after a long kiss that reassured us both that whatever be the consequences of our decision we will bear it together, we made our way to Sam's car to drive to the red quaint house.

Billy, Sarah and Jake were waiting for us in the living room and even though we had been to the Black's house ample of times before, this feeling was new. I was not here to visit my godparents or the boy who had been like a younger brother to me like I had done so hundreds of times before. I was here as Sam's imprint, his other half according to the tribal legends and from the posture of Billy, I knew that this was not a friendly social visit, it was a business meeting and the people sitting in front of me were the chief of the tribe, his wife and the Alpha of the pack Sam belonged to.

Sam clutched my hand in his as we sat on the couch and I squeezed his hand tightly in return offering him my silent support. A part of me knew that he was as nervous as I was but he was just better at masking it than others and I was the only one who got to see his vulnerable side. He had once told me in the past that when he was the alpha, even if he was terrified beyond words he could never let it show on his face. His pack looked at him for support and hope and if he showed fear, the pack would feel that fear too and worry. As their leader even if he believed there was no way out of the problem he had to keep the calm façade on and act like there was light at the end of the tunnel. For the others to follow he had to lead by example.

"Sam, Bella" said Billy giving us a small welcoming smile "The time to exchange pleasantries will come by later but first we await your decision. Samuel Levi Uley, have you taken your decision?"

Sam took a deep breath before confidently nodding his head "Yes chief, after considering everything I have reached my decision"

Billy took a noticeable sigh of relief and told Sam to continue.

"Before I tell what I have decided, I would like to thank you for thinking that I am capable of this responsibility. It means a lot that you thought that I was capable enough to take the position as the next chief of this tribe and after thinking about it for days I have reached the conclusion that I accept the proposition. If you and the council will let me I will be honored to be the chief of our tribe"

Similar smiles adorned the faces of us all in the room listening to Sam though a tinge of pain did cross Billy's eyes. He was still hoping that by some miracle Jake would have agreed to become the chief and with this announcement that hope had shattered. He had been waiting for years for Jake to grow up and mature enough to take his responsibilities as it had been difficult for Billy to do so, on his own after his disability and the last month he had only spent waiting for Sam's answer and hoping for some miracle which had not occurred. Looking at the hopelessness on Billy's face Sarah gave him a reassuring smile.

"We are proud of you Samuel" said Billy and Jake and Sarah offered their congratulations.

"I had a few requests to make though" said Sam after a few minutes. We had spoken about these requests and felt that this was the correct way to go about, in making our life easier "Jacob, as the Alpha of the pack, I want your permission to let me stop phasing. As soon as our current threat is over I want to quit the pack"

Jake looked at Sam in shock "Are you sure of this?" he asked slightly stuttering as if he could not believe what Sam had just said.

Sam nodded his head "Even though I love being a wolf, I will not be able to give Bella and our family any time with the constant patrolling that comes with being a wolf over the responsibility of being the chief. I had to choose one Jake and this is what I chose and also with there being eight wolves now, after the threat is over, you can afford to let one go"

Jake nodded his head "You will start aging again, your temperature will drop and you will lose the extra strength and senses, are you sure you want this?"

"Yes, I am sure" said Sam squeezing my hand that was intertwined in his "Bella is eighteen so it is not like I have to wait for her to grow older and it is strange but I want to be human again. It is a small price to pay in return"

Jake nodded his head and sighed "Fine, if this is what you want. We will miss you in the pack"

Sam gave him a sad smile "I will miss the pack too" in these past few months, sharing a mind with one another all of them had become like brothers and I knew that Sam's departure from the pack would be bittersweet.

"Another thing" continued Sam looking at Billy "I will retire after exactly twenty years from this duty. I don't want to be the chief after that"

Billy looked at him puzzled and even Sarah and Jake were waiting for the answer.

"Twenty years will give us enough time to save money to travel the world and see new places like we want to and also we will only be entering our forties then so hopefully we will be in the condition to travel" he said with a smile on his face looking at me as I blushed back.

Billy nodded his head "Okay, I will put this in front of the council"

"That is all we ask for" said Sam as I nodded my head

We spoke to them for some more time avoiding the important topics, talking about anything and everything before Sarah invited us to stay back for dinner. I helped Sarah in setting the table as Jake and Sam went for a quick check of the borders. With the recent threat they were more cautious than before and Jake often patrolled the entire night just to be sure that there was no threat to our land.

After dinner Sam dropped me home before starting his turn of patrol. Now the next important thing was telling the others in the pack and the council before telling the entire tribe and the reaction we would receive left me anxious.

It felt like my childhood habit of biting my nails had resurfaced when Sam informed the pack and imprints over Sunday brunch that he was taking over as the next chief. For a few minutes there was complete silence before we heard a bunch of whistles and Sam received a few pats on the back. We had quickly told them about the proceedings and the fact that Sam would be going in front of the remaining elders to inform them of Billy's offer and his acceptance of it. Just like the rest of us, all of them too felt that Sam would be apt for this position and the tribe would be in good hands though when the news that Sam was quitting the pack came out it got a bittersweet reaction to it and caused a somber mood in the room. Only when we had assured that nothing would change and Sam's house would always remain the pack house had the mood slightly lightened. All the boys had phased for a run through the woods to connect with their pack brothers even though Sam had protested that he was not leaving for at least another few months. After all the boys left, we girls had sat across the dining table to have our discussions. Though Rachel had already known of this, the others Leah, Kim, and Emily who had come over from the Makah reservation had congratulated me too as they asked several questions. Leah had taken me aside after a while to ask me if I was truly happy with this life changing decision and I had nodded my head looking at the worry for me on her face. Though she was just a few months older than me and I claimed to be the more mature one, Leah acted like a mama bear at times that would do anything to protect me, Seth and Hazel. When she was around no one would dare to mess with us and she was already teaching the now in 1st grade Hazel to be strong and not take any sort of crap from her classmates. It had been a hilarious sight to see Leah teach Hazel, not too cry but to make others cry. Finally Sue had given up and told Leah not to teach Hazel any of this, neither was she crying nor was she making anyone else cry.

The council had given us a mixed response and for this meeting I had not accompanied Sam as we felt it was better if Sam went alone. We had a feeling that having me there would not be appreciated by the elders and it would only lead to more chaos and so Sam had reluctantly gone alone. I had been sitting in his house for a few hours when he had stormed in, in anger only taking a deep breath when his arms were tightly placed around my torso and his face was hidden in my hair. Apparently not everyone on the council had been too happy with Billy's decision for who would succeed him and a few racist comments about me had been passed too though Sam refused to say who said what in a way to protect me from getting hurt. Finally after a lot of shouting and fighting a final voting had been conducted and to everyone surprise the vote had come in Sam's favor. Even though Billy had the right to decide who would succeed him, the other elders had a vote in this matter. If majority would have voted against Sam then it could have caused a problem but luckily he had received the majority votes. The people in minority had caused a ruckus but it was useless as the decision had already been made and Sam was the next chief of this tribe.

By the evening of the same day the news had spread like wildfire and every house on the reservation had at least one person who knew of this and suddenly Sam and I were local celebrities which honestly had been very unwanted. In school I had stuck to the pack and at work I had managed to mind my own business avoiding everyone who wanted the latest gossip. The Saturday that followed had been the official welcoming ceremony for Sam from the council and he was to take his position from the coming Monday. I had not been able to hide the pride on my face as I saw Sam as he stood next to Billy facing the elders and all of us assembled there. He was smiling and the happiness radiated from him and I knew without a doubt that we had taken the correct decision as this was what he had wanted. Even though he repeatedly said that he would do whatever I wanted him to do as his happiness was in mine as the imprint stated, it felt good to be allowed to return the favor and do for once what he wanted and what gave him happiness.

On Sunday a huge bonfire had been organized on first beach with the open invitation for the entire tribe to attend though cooking for so many people would be nearly impossible we had decided that it would be a potluck and everyone would bring something with them. Rachel, Kim, Sue and Sarah had helped me in decorating and organizing the entire celebration on such a short notice and soon the celebration had started. I recognized a lot more people than I thought I would as I stood next to Sam as he met everyone and gave them his assurance that they could come to him with any of their problem. Everyone was huddled in their own groups, some talking and some playing football. I had then left Sam's side for a while to talk to some classmates from school and to Amy Lahote who I was seeing after a while. The sneers had been minimal as most people were happy that they now had a young determined chief though a few had protested that it should have been Jacob instead and Sam had taken his place. Jake had just ignored those comments as he had said everyone who knew him knew that he was happy about this decision. The night had finally ended with fireworks that marked a new beginning to our chapter.

On Monday Sam had started the new chapter of our story and had left early for the tribal council building dropping me on the way to the garage and even though he had been tired on his feet at the end of the day he had enjoyed the work. Soon days started to fly and before we knew it, it had been two weeks since his first day.

It was another Sunday and we had decided to have a barbeque for the entire pack as they came over. With his new responsibility, Sam was patrolling lesser than before and only took one shift in a day and that too only for a few hours so he had hardly seen the others though I saw almost all of them everyday either at school, with Jason being the only one attending Forks High or at my apartment that I shared with Rachel. Embry was perpetually always there and wherever Embry went, Quil and Jake were somewhere nearby.

Soon everyone arrived and the hustle and bustle just like always began. All of us were sitting in the Backyard laughing at Quil's lame jokes and teasing Paul and Leah who still refused to see one another in the eye reminding Embry and Jared of their stupid bet when suddenly the expression on Jake's face changed and he growled loudly startling the rest of us. All of us looked at him in shock but soon the rest of the boys too picked up on why he had growled and we were surrounded by growls and shaking bodies.

"Sam, what is it?" I asked putting a hand on his arm in an effort to calm him down

He ignored me and looked at Jared "Take the girls inside and protect them with your life if you have too"

It was an order not a request.

Jared nodded his head before quickly telling us all imprints to move inside the house. It was extremely confusing and we looked at one another silently asking what was going on as Jared rushed us in.

"For Fuck's sake will someone tell me what is going on?" shouted Leah stopping in her way

"Not now Leah" snapped Paul rudely "This is important, just go inside"

Leah gave him a defiant look as if challenging him to act.

"Leah, all of you just go inside" said Sam with a firmness in his voice and she hesitantly nodded her head noticing the seriousness around us.

"What do you think it is?" asked Embry

"I can smell leech but there is something else too mixed in the scent" said Jake growling "Fuck, aren't Seth and Jason on Patrol? How did they miss this?"

"What is it, Jared?" asked Kim softly and for a second it looked like Jared would refuse to answer before he opened his mouth.

"We don't know. Someone is coming. We can smell that it is a leech but there is something else too"

"How did they pass the border?" asked Rachel, a question we all wanted to ask.

"You think we know?" scowled Jake and Embry growled at him

"Jared" said Sam as he and the others took a crouching position stating the trespasser was nearby

Jared started pushing us all towards the house but before we could take one more step ahead suddenly three people were coming out of the woods and all of us were frozen at sight, a man and two women. They looked human but their eyes were red and their skin slightly sparkled under the sun telling us that they were far from humans but not quite vampires. Their clothes were unlike ours and looked as if they lived in the Forests.

"Who are you and how dare you trespass our land?" growled Jake standing to his full height. He was flanked by Sam and Paul on both sides while Embry and Quil stood behind them in wolf form ready to pounce if needed.

Jared and Ben stood ahead of us and even Seth and Jason who had been on Patrol arrived in the backyard in their wolf form surrounding these weird vampires from all sides. Why were these people here? Did they have a death wish? They obviously knew about the pack from their behavior.

"Please we mean no harm" said the man standing a little ahead of the two women

"What are you?" asked Paul

"We can smell the leech in you but you look human and your heart is beating" said Sam

"We are hybrids, our mother was human and are father a vampire" said the woman with curly long red hair

I looked at the others, was something like this even possible? How did vampires procreate if they were in fact dead?

"I am Nahuel and these are my sisters Jennifer and Maysun" he said pointing at the women next to him.

"Why are you here and how did you pass the border?" asked Jake

"We were noticing your patrolling schedule since a few days and even though we knew this was risky, this was the best way we could talk to all of you at one go. When we saw that your wolves were patrolling the other side of the border we ran through and followed your scent to this house"

"Why?" asked Sam looking threatening and Nahuel and his sisters took a few steps back in fear.

"We wanted to forewarn you and also wanted to ask for your protection" said Nahuel

"Forewarn us against what?" asked Jake

"Joham and Maria are coming here with their Newborn army"


	21. Chapter 21

Thank you Taylor9901, catgrl, MammaNita4, sarae32, brankel1 and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

Chapter 21-

"We wanted to forewarn you and also wanted to ask for your protection" said Nahuel

"Forewarn us against what?" asked Jake

"Joham and Maria are coming here with their Newborn army"

Hearing the statement come out of Nahuel's mouth pin drop silence surrounded us, the only sounds being the occasional growls that were coming from the pack. Embry, Quil, Seth and Jason were already phased and I could see Paul and Ben shake as if they were going to phase out of anger any minute and were just managing by a thread.

Panic filled my mind and worry for my boyfriend, for my brothers and for the tribe in general preceded every rational thought in my mind. Even though I had no clear knowledge of what a newborn army was the tone in which he had said and the panic in his eyes was enough for me to grasp that whoever this army consisted of was dangerous and was a threat not to be taken lightly. Someone was coming to harm us and the pack would be in the forefront fighting the enemy. This thought was enough to send a chill through my body. Even though I knew that this was what the pack did and they were trained to kill vampires, it did nothing to ease my worries. There would be a fight, people would get critically injured and there was also the risk of losing lives. I shuddered at the last thought.

I looked around me, a similar panic and tension masked every face. Kim was tightly holding onto Jared as if she had the intention of never letting him go and I would have done the same if Sam was standing anywhere near me, I would keep him with me and refuse to let him fight though the rational part of my mind knew that that would not be enough to stop Sam. He was the oldest and the one who would be in the front, leading. Jake had just become the Alpha, he would need the guidance required and Sam was also one of their best fighters. The pack would need him there, ahead. Even though it hurt a bit to admit I knew that the pack and this tribe was his first priority. He was responsible for a lot more people than only me and as his imprint and life partner I had to let him do what was correct, what was his duty. It would be selfish of me to pull him back when his brothers were out there fighting for their life. He was the chief. It was his responsibility to make sure that the tribe was safe from any sort of harm.

Emily was tightly gripping onto Leah's hand and Leah kept glancing at Paul worriedly. Being the stubborn person that she was, she would never admit it out loud but her face gave it away how worried she was for Paul. Rachel came next to where I was standing and took my hand in hers, offering me her silent support reassuring me that everything would be okay. I squeezed her hand back reassuring her too. One lesson I had learnt early on when it was only Sam, Jared and Paul in the pack was that the boys got their strength from us, their imprints. If we showed fear, they became afraid. If we were strong they had the courage to fight. We had to be strong for them if nothing more. If they thought we were in danger, their wolves would not be able to concentrate on anything else their priority would be to run to us instead of fighting the vampire and that could be very lethal in a fight for life.

My eyes met Sam's for a brief second and he gave me a reassuring small smile. His eyes conveying to me that everything will be okay, he will not get hurt and neither will anyone else. They will find a solution for this problem as they have always done for every problem before this. I nodded my head with all the trust I had in me for him.

"Who are Joham and Maria and what exactly is a newborn army?" asked Jake straightening up, his stance careful and cautious depicting that he was the one in charge here.

"Joham is our father" said Nahuel sighing. His eyes showed the pain and fear he felt when Joham's name was spoken. "He is a vampire scientist, crazy for power"

"Vampire scientist?" asked Paul as if the idea of it was par ridiculous and the other boys nodded their heads in agreement.

Nahuel nodded his head "He was born in Portugal and considered himself a scientist with an obsessive personality. He would not let his theories go until they were fully investigated, no matter what the danger was. He did not care about anything else and had left his wife, family and friends years back when they intervened and told him to stop with his madness. When he was in his late thirties he got obsessed with occult and how it related to rational thought. He started researching about it like a madman and his theories led him to a female vampire, Maria…"

"Hold on, who is Maria?" asked Jared curiously

"Maria is a well known name in the vampire world. She is the leader of the Mexican coven and created newborns to fight in the southern vampire war for territory. She is ruthless and sadistic and tortured the others in her army if they refused to follow her orders with the help of the God of war"

"What is the southern vampire war? And what are newborns and who is the God of War?" asked Sam

"Please let me finish with my story. I will answer all the questions you have later. We understand that you need to trust us in order to offer your protection and we are ready to prove it to you by telling you everything we know" said Nahuel looking at his sisters, who looked terrified and Jake motioned him to continue

"So Joham found Maria one night when he was out searching for clues and she was amused by him and his curiosity. The thing with Maria is that she is power crazy and can do anything to stay in power. She felt that Joham could be a strong ally and sired him making him a vampire. At that time she was a nomad and was looking for a coven mate. She had a falling out with her sisters and had left their coven a few years back and so she bit Joham in the hope that he would join her in her sadistic plans of gaining power but after three days when Joham woke up, he wanted nothing to do with Maria or her coven. He wanted to spend all his time researching and had no interest in creating an army. So after the first year when Maria taught him all that was needed to know, they parted ways reluctantly and Joham relocated to the wilderness in South America where he stayed for a century and focused on the study of vampires and their abilities like speed, strength, mating bonds, gifts etcetera . At the end of that century, his curiosity diverted towards the possibility of a vampire-human hybrid, with a human mother and a vampire father and treating it like any other experiment he got obsessed with the idea. He wanted to know if something like this was possible and if it was how the child would turn out. Would it be like an immortal vampire or would it take after the human side?" He took a deep breath before continuing "He never respected human life and only treated them like food or prey. His theory was that vampires were superior to humans and so had a right to do what they pleased. He often played with 'his food' before draining them as many other vampires do" he said as disgust came over every face listening to him speak. Even if I had never met this Joham, I already disliked him and his actions were deplorable.

"It took him close to a decade and several casualties to gain enough control to not kill the human woman during the act accidently" he winced a bit "Our older sister Serena was his first success though her mother could not survive the pregnancy. Serena was too strong for her and she bit her way out of her mother's womb breaking all her bones and killing her" he closed his eyes as if remembering some painful memory and his sisters quietly consoled him as the rest of us looked at him horror-stricken. It was not hard to guess what had happened to their mothers too and I could only feel sympathy for these people standing in front of me. No one deserved such a gruesome birth and no one deserved such a painful death.

"Joham monitored her growth from birth till maturity which was seven years and studied everything there was too including her accelerated growth, intelligence and the fact that she could speak when she was a little less than two days old…" he continued

"Seven years?" asked Jake "Are you immortal?"

Nahuel nodded his head "Our maturity levels are different and by the time we are seven, we have the physical, mental and emotional growth of an eighteen year old. We don't age after that and stay the same for how many ever years"

"Stuck in the body of a teenager for eternity? That doesn't sound that great. At least we age when we stop phasing and can resume normal life and normal experiences. Imagine the amount of things you cannot do because you physically will always look like a kid" said Jared making a face of disgust

Nahuel nodded his head "It is not at all great. We are like vampires in that aspect, never growing old, stuck in this cycle of living forever and seeing life around you wither while you stay as you were, unchanging"

"Eternity can be painful when you have to live alone with only your regrets and dreams that you can never fulfill, to give you company?" whispered Maysun at a volume so low as if she was talking to herself. Jennifer wrapped her arms around her sister and Maysun gave her a small smile in return.

"How can you be immortal, your heart beats and we can hear the pulse too? What do you eat?" asked Sam changing the subject

"We don't have an answer to why we are immortal when we look more human than vampire and except for the eye color and a little shine to our skin when we are under the sun, we don't have much vampire in us though we are stronger than normal humans and are faster with slightly stronger senses. We can survive on both blood and human food but Joham never let us eat human food. He insisted that we feed on humans. He said that they are prey as they are weaker than us. We were punished if we went against him" said Jennifer

Paul growled loudly and Nahuel pushed his sister slightly behind him. Jake glared at him to calm down. All of us could somewhere sympathize with the hybrids. It was not easy to be different from others. It took courage to be unique and it was not their fault that their father was an asshole.

Jake took a deep breath "Then what happened after Serena was born?"

"To see if the first time was just a fluke, a chance encounter that worked, Joham tried impregnating a human again and Maysun here was born but Joham had no interest in her as he already knew what there was to know. He left Serena to look after Maysun and went back to his lab to continue his research. Serena was raised without a mother or any parental figure as Joham just treated her like a lab rat and Serena was the only mother or Father Maysun knew even if she was the worst person to learn from being selfish and self absorbed. After that he conceived three more children but their mothers died before the children reached full term killing them too" he sighed loudly as pain crossed his face "My mother was Joham's singer. Her blood sang to him and it is impossible to resist your singer. It is like the richest wine you have ever tasted. At that time Joham thought that women with better smelling blood might conceive faster and create hybrids with more powers so he romanced her and made her fall in love with him. After learning that she was pregnant, he left her alone leaving her heartbroken as he was only interested in me and wanted nothing to do with her. At the end of her one month pregnancy, he sent Serena to collect the baby. He did not even come to see her when she was taking her last breath" he closed his eyes and sighed heavily "All because of me" he whispered under his breath

"It is not your fault brother" said Jennifer and Maysun nodded her head

"I killed her" he said shaking "I am the reason why she is dead. She must hate me. I am a monster. She must think I am an abomination"

"Nahuel, I am sorry if you feel I am intruding but you did not kill your mother. It was not your fault and no mother ever hates her child, she loved you from the minute she knew that you were in her womb. And she would not see you like a monster because you are not one. For her you were just her precious child who she loved more than her life and chose over herself" I said as Jared and Ben moved from ahead of us and we all imprints went and stood next to the wolves and Jake told all the wolves that were currently phased to phase back. These hybrids were not a threat to us or anyone. The honesty and sincerity on their face could not be faked unless they were terrific actors which they did not look to be, telling us that these people were in fact saying the truth.

Sam took my hand in his as I went and stood next to him.

Nahuel nodded his head sadly still not believing us.

"Well if you are a monster so are we" said Paul with a chuckle surprising all of us "Well transforming into a horse sized wolf does not scream normal from any angle"

"Yeah and still my mom does not treat me as anything other than a normal fourteen year old. She even grounds me if I do anything wrong. She says werewolf or not till you live under my roof you follow my rules" said Seth frowning a bit as Leah gave out a small laugh at that.

"So you see you are as normal as any of us" said Jake and the others nodded their heads in agreement

"You have a beating heart, does not scream like monster to me" said Quil shrugging

"Yeah and our parents don't treat us as anything other than a human who sometimes roams around in animal form" said Jared in a nonchalant manner

"So from that relation you are just a half human with a few heightened senses and a lifespan that never ends" said Quil chuckling

"I wish I was full human" muttered Nahuel under his breath "Then maybe…"

"Your mother would only want you to be happy in life" said Emily

"She would not like it if you thought so less of yourself. She must be looking at you from above" whispered Kim "She would not blame you for anything"

"So before you go around blaming yourself, think of her and how she would feel" said Rachel

"Yeah no parent wants their child to feel like crap""Well obviously apart from your sperm donor. Calling him a father would be an insult to the word father" said Leah rolling her eyes

"Thank you" said Jennifer, her eyes brimming with tears

"Thank you" whispered Nahuel still looking at the ground but his voice sounded lighter as if a burden had been slightly lifted off him "So where was I?"

"Let's take this inside? I think we should sit down if this is going to be any longer a conversation" said Sam

"Yeah I am also hungry" said Quil and almost all of the boys nodded their heads just like the bottomless pits they were.

"Are you sure you are okay with us being so close to your women?" said Nahuel hesitantly

"Well we are the ones inviting you inside, aren't we?" said Embry

Nahuel slowly nodded his head as we all walked inside the house.

They sat on the couch in the living room while Emily helped me whip up some sandwiches for everyone outside. We could hear the conversation outside and now they were talking about baseball and the fact that the hybrids had never seen a game. Quil was shocked the most to hear that they had no knowledge of the latest technology or what was happening in the world around as they had been living in the wilderness since more than a century with no contact of the outside world. They had never sat in a car or seen a movie. They told us that most nomadic vampires lived like that and had no knowledge of the date or year to which Ben had commented that how boring a life was that. Nahuel told us that only a few civilized vampires lived in society or at least tried to blend in society for another reason except feeding.

Conversation flowed easily between the hybrids and the pack and It felt like we knew them from months instead of just a few minutes and Rachel offered to let the girls borrow her clothes as theirs were muddy and torn from a few places while Jason offered to lend Nahuel some clothes of his.

After the boys pounced on the sandwiches and ravished almost the entire plate within seconds, the discussion steered back to important topics and Jake insisted that the hybrids eat human food till they were here to which they agreed and even ate the sandwiches without much fuss only making a distasteful face once. They said that after drinking human blood nothing else compared. It was like an addiction and it would take them some time to get off it.

"So when Serena came to take me to Joham" said Nahuel starting the story again "She found me lying next to a newborn vampire, my aunt Huilen. She assumed that Huilen was my mother and left us alone to report this to Joham as a possessive newborn would have torn her apart if she got any closer to me"

"Your aunt?" asked Jared puzzled

Nahuel nodded his head "She was the one looking after my mother in her last days and my mother had made her promise that she would take care of me. When she tried to pick me up minutes after I was born, I bit her changing her in the process. She had no idea that Joham was a vampire before she was changed and took quite a while to understand what she was after she woke up"

"You are venomous?" asked Sam looking worried

"Nahuel is but we both are not" said Jennifer "We don't know why it is so"

"I have never changed anyone apart from my aunt though. I guess the only reason why I was venomous was so that I could survive with a somewhat decent life or I would have been in the same predicament as my sisters" said Nahuel

Sam nodded his head telling him to continue

"Huilen was the one who raised me and taught me how to read and write. She was like a mother to me" he said as a sad expression took over his face again "We lived in the jungles of South America for the first six years of my life. I was almost a sixteen year old by then and everything I was was because of Huilen. One day when we were out hunting we came face to face with Joham. He had gone to meet Serena a few years back and she had told him what had happened. He was pleased beyond himself to know that he had a son who could transform humans into full vampires when his daughters could not and had been looking for me since years. He was angry at my aunt for interfering in what he believed was his business and almost ripped her apart for trying to take his test subject away"

Numerous growls surrounded me, the loudest being surprisingly Paul who did not generally take to new people this soon. I was sure that if Joham came anywhere nearby right now the entire pack would be ready to tear him apart. Heck even Leah and Rachel looked ready to murder and even the most non violent person on the planet, Kim looked ready to hit someone.

"But Huilen was stronger and could protect herself and he soon realized that my loyalty was to her and if he killed her I would never be on his side. So he left us alone telling us about Serena and Maysun and asking for me to visit them sometime. He was also shocked to see how much I loved my mother and valued human life as that was something he had never expected being the soulless monster that he was" "I lived with Huilen for another year till I reached full maturity before I went to meet my half sisters. Maysun and I instantly connected though Serena remained aloof and wanted nothing to do with me. She found it weird that I was so 'human' unlike her who was more connected to her vampire side. We both stayed with them for a few years before we left again to travel and explore new parts of the world. After nearly four decades I met Maysun again who told me that Joham had impregnated another woman and our sister Jennifer was born. Serena was raising her with involvement from Joham to avoid a situation like that had occurred with me. He did not want to take any risks this time around. Huilen and I lived separately but we often went to see Maysun and Jennifer who were very dear to me. Serena and I never got along as she worshiped every word that came out of Joham's mouth. Joham and I never spoke though after that one meeting"

"Okay so why is Joham coming here with his newborn army?" asked Jake emphasizing on the word 'here'. That was one question all of us wanted to know the answer to, Joham should not even know about us as there was no reason to know of.

Nahuel sighed "Before I tell you that I need to tell you something else. I told you about Maria, Joham's sire. After Joham left her she roamed around for a few more decades before she went back to her sisters Nettie and Lucy and rejoined the Mexican coven. I don't know much about her past but her mate and two older vampires who were like her parents were killed during the southern vampire wars by another coven who wanted their territory and she and her sisters had barely managed to escape. She wanted revenge and wanted to reclaim her land and exact vengeance. For that she started creating newborns. Newborn is the term given to vampires in their first year after the change as they are stronger than normal vampires and are good at following orders being as young as they are in vampire years. Maria took newborn armies to a new level by choosing humans with combat potential and giving them more training than anyone had bothered to do before. When she met Major Jasper Whitlock, she recognized his ability to control emotions and hoped that his physical stature and military experience would help her in her mission. After he had been changed he proved himself to be one of her finest fighters and with his power of empathy he earned the title of God of war. With him on her side, Maria won many territories and was the most successful warlord"

"I don't know much of what happened after that but almost a century later the Major left Maria and her coven saying that he wanted a new life. Maria had no choice but to let him go or he would have killed her as he was more powerful than her though she never forgot him. She still defends her territory in Mexico against interlopers though she is not as successful as she was. A few months back Joham and Maria met again in Mexico after almost two centuries. Joham was bored as he had nothing else to research on and Maria who could never find a replacement for the Major was desperately searching for one. Joham told her about us four, the hybrids that had survived and Maria said that we were useless to her as we are weaker than normal vampires. Maria in return told him about your tribe and the fact that you are shape shifters."

"How did she know of us?" asked Sam growling

"I overheard him telling Serena the entire conversation and from what I heard a few months back two vampires of her army were touring through the area in search of anyone talented enough to be changed and came across a shape shifter. They killed the shape shifter before going back to Mexico and reporting it to Maria that there are werewolves in this area. Maria has had experience with werewolves and instantly knew that that was a shape shifter instead" said Maysun

All of us looked at one another in shock. Nothing like this had happened. Sam was the first one to change and it was unlikely that something like this happened before that. It was then that it hit me.

"Sam, the night when Leah found out, the two vampires that had escaped after injuring you" I said with my eyes widened and I could see the realization in his eyes.

"Oh fuck, they must have thought that I died" he said taking his head in his hands. I went and sat next to him taking his hands in mine. I knew that he was blaming himself for letting those two go even though it was hardly his fault. He was still a new wolf. Till date that night was one of the scariest moments of my life. I almost lost Sam that day.

He gave me a soft kiss noticing my scared expression before he told everyone the events of that fateful night.

"Okay so this explains how she knows but how are we even relevant to her?" asked Jake perplexed

"Maria can do anything to find stronger warriors for her army and Joham is a maniac in search for new research. A month or two after Maria's soldiers told her of you she had come back to scout the area and see if there were any other shape shifters and one boy almost shifted due to her presence"

"I guess that would be me" said Seth raising his hand like a child, as all of us thought back to the day he had phased and the strange vampire who had made her presence known.

"Okay so she knows of us, what is the point though?" asked Jake exasperated

"Maria wants a wolf-vampire hybrid for her army" said Nahuel as all of us stared at him shocked

"A female vampire cannot procreate and you don't have a female shape shifter in your pack. The only way this would be possible would be through us" said Maysun pointing at her and Jennifer

"But why?" asked Sam

Nahuel shrugged "She feels that a vampire-werewolf hybrid would be superior as they would have qualities of both and would be well cherished and more powerful, an immortal wolf that has the senses and strength of a vampire apart from the powers that come as a shape shifter. Such a creature would be undefeatable in her army and Joham just wants something new to research on. A win-win for both"

"Imagine the catastrophe it would cause" said Maysun "And what if the child had a special ability? Maria and Joham would use it to their advantage and create havoc around the world"

"Special ability?" asked Rachel

Maysun nodded her head "Nahuel and I don't have any but Jennifer is a shield. She can shield other mental powers against her, a very strong power to have in the vampire world as many of the powers others possess are mental"

"And that is why she is the main target" said Nahuel wrapping an arm around his sister protecting her

"But you are half human too?" said Jake shouting and shaking

"And how do they expect to get us to agree?" said Paul growling "Do they think we will easily agree to create a monster for them?"

Nahuel shook his head "They know you won't and so they are coming with their army to kill all of you except one, the strongest. The one that remains will be taken back to Joham's lab and will be forced through immense torture to do as they say. Once Jennifer is impregnated the wolf will be killed and the baby will be theirs and they think that the vampire gene will be more dominant when passed down. It is just a guess that the pros weigh the cons"

"Are they insane?" shouted Leah annoyed

"They are" said Maysun "As soon as I heard Joham tell this all to Serena I contacted Nahuel. I had to save Jennifer's life. They don't care that she could die in this ridiculous experiment of theirs and they would have nothing to lose even if their experiment does not go as planned. We are the ones who lose"

Numerous growls and sounds filled the room at that moment. Everyone was talking at the same time of this monstrous plan that Joham and Maria had wielded. I could see all the boys starting to shake and even my hand on Sam's arm was not enough to calm him down. I could see that he was livid.

"No one phases" ordered Jake before anyone lost control and phased too close to us "How did you escape?"

"Huilen" said Nahuel as a tear rolled down his cheek "She fought Joham giving us three the time to escape. She surrendered her life to protect ours"

"Serena agrees to this plan?" asked Emily surprised. At this point I was not surprised of anything. I guess I was done with my quota of surprises for the day. This all was too much to comprehend.

Maysun nodded her head "Joham is God for her. She could never go against him. After we escaped from there we did not know where to go, Nahuel and I would be killed if we were found and this was the only place we could think of to ask for protection"

"Good you came here" I reassured her giving her a small smile

"We will protect you" said Sam and everyone nodded their heads in agreement

"So now what we fight?" asked Paul

Jake nodded his head "They are coming for us, for the tribe and as protectors we will fulfill our duty. We can't back down from our responsibility and run away"

"How many people are there in this army?" asked Sam

"From how much I know close to thirty" said Maysun

"Shit Jake" said Jared "We can't fight so many. We are not even half of them"

I looked at Sam in panic. Going against thirty vampires would be a suicide mission, add in the fact that they are newborns and stronger and we were doomed.

"We need numbers which we don't have" said Sam sighing as complete terrifying silence filled the room.

"We can ask the major for help" whispered Jennifer "He has fought with Maria, he knows what to do"

"We are not asking a bloodsucker for help" growled Paul

"Paul, the army is coming irrespective. Either we die directly or we at least try to save our lives" said Sam "Because a fight is happening. I will not let them come here and destroy our tribe and take one of us without fighting till my last breath. If any of you does not want to fight I will not force you, it is your choice but I am fighting"

Sam kissed me on the forehead as I closed my eyes, a few tears falling from my eyes. I knew that even trying to stop him would be futile. He was my strong protector, the one who never backed down because the road was risky.

"I am in" said Jake "I will not stay back from my duty"

"I am always ready for a fight" said Paul looking at Leah once who looked like she wanted to cry and shout at the same time.

"Me too" said Embry squeezing Rachel's hand

"Yeah me too" said Quil looking more serious than I had seen him in all these years

"Even I am in" said Jared sighing

"Jared no" cried Kim

He took her in his arms cradling her like a small child "Shh, nothing will happen to me. You are stuck with me" he started whispering in her ear before taking her hand and pulling her out with him.

"Even I am in" said Jason

Ben too nodded his head

"Me too" said Seth

"Seth no" shouted Leah panicking and I hid my face in Sam's chest. Both my boyfriend and my younger brother would be on that field fighting for their life. I had never felt more powerless before this moment. There was nothing I could do to help my family, my pack. I felt helpless. I wished there was something that I could do to help them but I was just a human stuck in the world of supernatural. My own voice rung in my ears, I needed to be strong for Sam. I may not be able to provide physical strength but I could give him that mental strength he needs, be the support system he needs, the one he can rely on and trust in these tough times.

"Are you sure?" said Sam and all of them nodded their heads

"We are a pack dude. We are in this together" said Quil

"When are they coming?" asked Jake

"We don't know the exact date but less than three weeks. The army was almost ready when Joham told Serena everything" said Maysun

Three weeks… That's all I had. That's all we had. Sam hugged me closer to him leaving soft kisses on my face. I needed to be close to him right now. I needed to feel his touch to know that we still had one another.

"You will not lose me" he whispered in my ear "I will always come back to you"

I nodded my head giving him a smile even if it was the hardest thing that I had to do.

"Guys we need to be positive. The fight is over even before it starts if we give up like this" said Jake "Jennifer what do you know of this major?"

"He lives her in Forks with his new coven from what I have heard from a few nomads we came across"

"Wait he is a part of the Cullen Coven?" asked Sam shocked

Nahuel nodded his head

"Wow the supposed God of war living with squirrel munchers" said Paul smirking

"Now what Sam?" asked Jake

"We go to Forks to meet this infamous major and see if he can provide us with any help and then we start training. That battle is not truly over till the last one falls"


	22. Chapter 22

Thank you catgrl, Taylor9901, brankel1, .7334, MammaNita4, sarae32 and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

Chapter 22-

Sam POV

Three weeks, 21 days that's all we had before our tribe, our home was to be invaded by those evil bloodsuckers who wanted to destroy us for their own personal selfish gain. I had never been a very violent person and believed in the philosophy that if something can be solved by communication why to use your hands, if something can be settled by non violence why to use the crutches of violence. Saying this I was never a pacifist at whole, I understand that sometimes a physical altercation is needed to survive and to end evil in society, as they say rude people don't understand soft language and violence is sometimes the only way to make them understand even if it is the least desirable way to exist. The only rule I followed was that I would never harm a person who was weaker than me or unharmed.

My deadbeat father was one of my main reasons for having this ideology in life. Luckily I had no memory of him as my parents divorced when I was two and he had skipped town never to return by the time I was a little under three but the curious child in me had often pondered of how my parents were as people as just knowing their names had not been enough and my mother was as good as non- existent. If I was lucky I saw her on the weekends. After their divorce she had become a workaholic and even looking at me reminded her of the man she had once married and so she chose to avoid me like the plague. My grandmother Clara Uley had been the one to change my diapers, tuck me to sleep after telling me stories of wolves and our tribe and the one to give me the best life advices one could possibly get as I grew older. She had been the one to give me the birds and bees talk and the one who I had introduced to my first girlfriend when I was thirteen. My grandpa Charles had expired when my father had been in school and Grandma Clara often said that looking after me kept her busy and gave her a reason to continue to live which she had lost when all of her children had left her house rarely even contacting her again and even when my parents stayed in the same reservation as her, fifteen minutes from where she stayed to be precise they hardly went to meet her always citing that they were busy and had no time.

For the first few years of my curiosity she had successfully diverted the topic avoiding answering how my parents were as people, their likes and dislikes and vague answers were all I had received from her when I coaxed. Finally after years of asking her and the lessened visits and phone calls by my mother which had dropped down to once in a month or two, she had relented when she had seen how affected I had been from my parents abandoning me, first my father and then the woman who was supposed to be my mother. She had sat down and told me who my parents were as people and the image she had presented had not been a kind one which had instantly made a part of me regret for even asking her and hurting her feelings.

Joshua Uley had known Allison Greystone all her life as they had grown up on this reservation together and somewhere down the line they had fallen in love despite of their contrasting personalities. After a few years of dating they had got married and had hoped for a happy ever after which unfortunately for them never arrived. A few months after their marriage Joshua had lost his job in the Timber industry and unemployment had hit him hard completely changing who he was as a person. He had always been short tempered and quick to react with anger but these circumstances had made him even more aggressive and ill mannered. All the money he earned doing odd jobs was spent in his newly found liquor and drug addiction and even when his wife begged him to stop he had refused to listen and cut down as his addiction was the only thing that gave him peace in this new found reality. As months passed with his reputation tarnishing and his new reputation as a drunkard and good for nothing man firmly setting, he found it even more difficult to find work and his anger manifested in a different way. He had started hitting his wife to release his anger. The first time had been accidental as he had pushed her hard on the floor without meaning to and he had sincerely apologized for it, telling her that this would never happen again but like a moth to a flame, he had not stopped and my mother had always forgiven him saying that he would change one day. With more bruises came more questions and my grandmother, my mother's coworkers and even the other council members had tried to intervene but Allison had refused to say a word against her husband giving excuses for her injuries and with time more bruises had made their way on her body and mind as Joshua became bolder with her silence. After every hit came an unmeant apology the next day and my mother had held onto the hope that someday the loving man that she had married would come back to her. After a few more months of struggling to find work which he felt was of his level, Joshua finally managed to get a job and things changed to slightly better in their marriage. During that period Allison had realized that she was pregnant and she had desperately hoped for a change which had never arrived as tides soon changed again and Joshua was thrown out of his job within days of joining for turning up inebriated beyond his senses to work. The next few months had been like hell for her as Joshua fell back to his previous habits and even the fact that his wife was pregnant with his child had not been enough for him to change and the abuse had continued. Somehow she had survived those nine months and I had been born, a healthy baby. Their life had continued like it had all these years and Allison still took the abuse laid down on her with the hope that soon everything would get better and Joshua would change though she never let Joshua lay a hand on me. Finally when I was two and she finally realized after a beating that almost killed her, that the man she had married was gone forever leaving this monster in his place she had gained the strength to go to her mother-in-law and beg for help when he was out of the house. She had refused to blame Joshua for any of her injuries stating that they were all accidents and he didn't mean to hurt her and the only thing she wanted from him was a divorce as she wanted a fresh start in life. My grandma, a few of her friends and even Billy had told her to not let him go this easily but she wanted to do nothing more with Joshua, my grandmother had told me that Allison still loved that monster she was ashamed to call son and did not want to punish him for his deeds no matter how much he deserved it. Knowing this was the easiest way out Joshua had agreed for a divorce and had left Allison and his son alone never to see again.

When my Grandma had finished telling the twelve year old me this I had been shocked and had stared at her for a few minutes not knowing what to say. I had not known that it was possible to hate someone to this extent even without meeting them and I had vowed to never become like the man who was supposed to be my father. I detested everything what Joshua Uley was and I promised to never use aggression to release my frustration. A part of me also hated my mother for not having the courage to take action against the man that was abusing her and for leaving her toddler son to be raised by someone else as I realized that all those times when my grandma had told me that my mother loved me but was just busy with work to come here to see me were lies. That day my grandma Clara had given me the best advice of my life, you cannot change the past no matter how hard you want to, you can only aim to make your present and future better and that advice had stuck with me all throughout the years and as I observed this small woman holding my hand tightly and tightly tucked into my side as we walked side by side, for the hundredth time I wished that my Grandma Clara had been alive today and that I could have introduced my Bella to her.

She would have loved Bella's honesty and fierce loyalty and the fact that she loved with all of her heart keeping nothing behind. She had loved me like her own child and would have been happy to see me find the one who completed me in every sense of the world and gave me the strength to carry on no matter how difficult it seemed.

As my thoughts wavered to our current scenario and the impending threat that was forming a dark cloud in our clear sky like future, I lightly kissed the hair of my reason for living reassuring her as well as myself that we would find a way out of this problem like we always did. I could not lose her and I meant to keep the promise that I made that I would always come back to her.

"Sam" nudged Bella looking at me with questioning eyes as I shrugged and shook my head. We were currently walking to her house after the meeting with the hybrids, as I wanted her to be safe before I left with the others to go to Forks to meet the infamous major. As of now I did not know whether he would even agree to talk to us let alone agree to help us. It was not his problem and he was not bound to help but I could only hope that he would agree to help or at least give us some tips so that we could up our chances of survival. I meant every word of what I had said in the meeting with the hybrids, I was the chief of this tribe and these people were my family. I would not let any of them suffer or be harmed till I could help it.

"It will work out in the end" she said looking at me and halting in our steps "He will agree to give us information against Maria and we will train and win this fight. We just have to keep our spirits high. You can't lose hope Sam. When the leader loses hope everyone loses hope"

I don't know how she managed to do this but she always knew what to say to me when I was feeling low. In the beginning I thought that maybe this was the imprint but I soon realized that this was not the imprint but Bella herself. She just knew when to say what as if something inside her just told her this.

I nodded my head "I know"

"Who all of you are going to Forks?"

We had decided that we did not want to look like a threat by landing at their doorstep in so many numbers and we could not leave the reservation unguarded even if the hybrids had given us a rough timeline of three weeks, it was not ascertained they could turn up earlier too.

"Jake, Embry, I and Jared along with the hybrids, the others will be patrolling and ready in wolf form if needed"

Embry and Jared were amongst the calmest members of the pack and would be able to control their anger and need to phase in a house full of leeches as our wolf would definitely feel the need to be in control when it comes in contact with their rotten deathlike scent and Jake being the alpha and me being the chief it was important that we both go.

She nodded her head "I offered third room of my apartment to Emily to move in till the fight. Quil wants her to shift here so that he can be sure that she is safe at all times and she has reluctantly agreed knowing how important this is right now"

I nodded my head in agreement "Quil's wolf will drive him crazy and force him to run to Neah Bay if he doesn't know of Emily's whereabouts in such a precarious situation"

I could understand the feeling, if I did not know whether Bella was safe or not, it would drive me crazy too. That was the first rule of imprinting our imprints had to be protected and safe at all times. The human in me would calm down with a phone call and a little bit of rational thinking but the wolf needed to see her to scent that she was safe and in no harm or he would leave every fight and run back to her to keep her safe no matter what the consequences are.

We soon reached her house and with a chaste peck on the lips she walked inside the house and I promised her that I would come see her after the meeting with the Cullen's. A lot many changes would have to be done and a completely new patrolling schedule and training schedule would have to be devised. Even the pack members who were in school who were all except me would have to temporarily stop going as at any given point of time La Push could be attacked and we needed to be alert all throughout irrespective of whether it was day or night. I was not naïve enough to assume that the leeches would attack in broad daylight only they could attack at the least expected time in the middle of the night and we would still have to be ready for them which would no doubt affect our sleeping-eating patterns. It would also not do if we were too tired and sleep deprived to fight so a suitable patrolling schedule would have to be thought off where everyone got enough rest yet patrolled to their highest.

I soon phased and let my wolf form take over as I ran towards the border where Jared was going to meet us with his car as we could not phase in Forks because of the treaty. Unless we were provoked or felt threatened we were supposed to stay in our human form.

As my pitch black wolf self ran through the woods at the fastest speed it could, I let myself see what was happening in the collective pack mind. Embry had just dropped Rachel at Billy's where she would be telling Billy of what all the hybrids had mentioned. It had been a combined decision that we could not hide this from the elders or the parents of the pack members. It was better if they knew in case of anything unfortunate happening. Embry was also worrying of what he was going to tell his mother, Tiffany Call. He had recently told her of him being a shape shifter and she was constantly worried about his safety and stayed awake the entire night when he was out patrolling, only sleeping when she saw that he had arrived home safely which was in turn affecting her health and work and he was scared that she would definitely not take this well.

Seth was thinking about Claire and the fact that she lived in Forks where he could not phase if necessary and how would he explain to her that she needs to be in La Push more in these days so that the pack could keep her safe.

Jason was thinking about the same thing and how it would be better if his parents and sister are not in town for the next few weeks. As shape shifters we could only protect the reservation, anything that happened in Forks was under the Cullen territory and till they were there we could not do anything about it. Even if the residents of Forks were attacked unless the Cullen's gave us permission to phase in Forks we could not do anything to help.

Paul was growling in anger on the entire situation and his temper was even worse than normal which made me roll my eyes. He was thinking of mercilessly tearing apart every leech that crossed his path.

Ah Quil was thinking of how much fun it would be to go skinny dipping with Emily which was followed by images of Emily in a semi-nude manner.

"Quil" chastised Embry loudly "Rein it in. No one except you wants to see Emily like that"

All of us nodded our heads in agreement to that. No doubt the pack mind was helpful during a fight with the leeches but most of the times it was simply a pain in the ass. There was no privacy at all and who in his right frame of mind wants his every thought to be broadcasted to a bunch of other hormonal teenagers.

"Imagine Embry" said Quil with a faraway look in his eyes "Going skinny dipping with your imprint"

With this mental description all of us imprinted one's minds rolled down the gutter as each one of us started thinking of our imprints well with the exception of Seth whose thoughts were more PG rated and who was only showing disgust at our thoughts. Thoughts of Bella filtered through my mind, her in a barely there bikini soaking under the sun, her jumping nude from the cliffs on second beach as I wrapped my arms around her wearing nothing on me….

"Dude" protested Seth loudly "That is my sister, I don't want to bleach my mind and you too Paul, even Leah is my sister if you have forgotten"

I at least had the courtesy to sound apologetic. Paul just shrugged "You can't neglect the fact that she is hot"

"God why" sighed Seth "Why did you both have to imprint on my only sisters? Do you know how hard it is to listen to someone thinking like this about your 'sister'?"

Jason gave Seth a look reminding him that he too had imprinted on Jason's sister and they started bickering, Seth saying that his thoughts were only platonic to which Jason begrudgingly replied 'yes as of now'.

I tuned out of their ridiculous conversation as my thoughts went back to Bella and the next few weeks. Damn I sometimes missed being the Alpha, being the alpha came with its own set of perks as only the Beta could clearly read the alpha's mind, for the other pack members it was just noise in the background and as the alpha I had made it a point to rarely patrol with Jared who had been my Beta in a way to keep my thoughts to myself.

Quil added two points of his own in the still ongoing baseless conversation in the pack mind and I had a feeling that he had purposely done this to lessen the tension and stressfulness that was present currently in the pack mind.

"Where is Jake?" I asked changing the subject as I noticed that he was not phased at the moment

"He has gone to pick up the hybrids from your house" said Embry "He will bring them with him in his rabbit to the border"

I nodded my head. I had offered my house to Nahuel, Jennifer and Maysun to stay for now as it was important that they stayed in La Push so that we could protect them and with them staying in my house, my scent and the other boys scents, who were always there would easily mask theirs so that no unknown leech could trace their scent if they came looking to Forks for them and anyways with the constant patrolling I would hardly have anytime to stay at home. I could just stay at Bella's in my free time and with that my thoughts went back to Bella. It was so hard to be an imprinted wolf at times as your imprint was all you could think about.

I changed my direction as I ran towards the border where Jared and Jake were waiting for me and Embry to arrive. As I saw them waiting by the road I phased back into my human form and walked the short distance to Jared's old pickup truck which looked rusty and well worn as if it had been passed down generations.

"It was this or nothing" said Jared rolling his eyes as I nodded my head, at least we would have a little leg space in this crap which fell in the category of luxury these days when it came to cars and our size. I walked towards where Jake was standing with Nahuel and Maysun who both looked shaken and nervous.

"Where is Jennifer?" I asked

Nahuel rubbed the back of his neck "She was terrified to come, her past experiences with vampires have not been very good and I did not want to force her when she was so scared"

"I have left her with Kim and Emily" said Jake

I nodded my head. They had briefly mentioned that Jennifer had been mistreated for her shielding ability by Joham and his leech colleagues on more than one occasion and so her apprehension on the situation was not truly misplaced. It made no sense to take her to a leech lair when she was so terrified of their presence even if she was half vampire herself and anyways all that was to be said to the leeches we already knew so there was no reason to push her out of her comfort zone.

Embry soon arrived and with me and him in Jared's truck and Jake with the hybrids in his rabbit we made our way towards the Cullen house in Forks.

The Cullen house in Forks was more like a mansion than a normal sized small town house. It was located a few miles out of Forks and there was one small half made road that led to it. If you were not aware of this road you would possibly never find their house but that was not a possibility for us as the road and the entire area surrounding it was drenched with their disgusting death like scent as if they had rolled their selves on this ground and the trees around completely submersing it with their scent. Though being a part of the supernatural world myself I knew what this was, this was a warning to other supernatural creatures and vampires alike that this land was taken and belonged to them. It was an indication that this was their territory and unless one wanted a fight they should stay away. Just like we used our scent to beware others they did so too.

As we drove towards the house the scent grew more powerful and our faces turned in disgust at the putrid smell. It was nauseating to say the least and it reaffirmed why we were mortal enemies who could not stand to be close to one another. Jared parked his truck in their driveway and we got down of the car half expecting someone to already be out of the house. If we could smell them from half a mile couldn't they smell us too?

From the scents around I figured out that there were seven of them, a huge coven in the vampire world and from what I knew they had several powerful gifts too such as mind reading, empathy and one who was a seer. I had never met them after I phased though Billy had called Carlisle Cullen and informed him that a new wolf pack had been formed and they were to strictly stay in their area. Only the last pack had met the Cullen's, before the Cullen's left they had told the chief then, Ephraim Black that their lawyer will contact the tribe whenever they wanted to talk and around two and a half years back Billy had received a call from someone named J. Jenks based in Seattle saying that the Cullen's were moving back to Forks, a number was passed to be used in case required and Billy had only used it twice, once when I phased and the second time to ask if Jason could phase in Forks and now all the documents including the original treaty signed by the pack and Cullen's and their contact information was given to me as the current chief, in a file that I had to protect with my life and had to make sure that it did not go into the wrong hands.

"Whoa" said Embry bringing me back to the sight in front of me. The Cullen mansion was huge with three floors and was covered with floor length windows making it feel airy though ostentatious, nothing like a house that belonged to somewhere like Forks. It looked as if it was directly out of a home decor magazine with its stylish outlook and belonged to some celebrity though to be fair they did behave like they were the local celebrities in town with their extravagance. If they were trying to blend in with the residents of Forks they were doing a terrible job at it.

"Aren't there supposed to be coffins in here?" asked Jared curiously as I rolled my eyes, we already knew they did not sleep and all the myths were exactly that, myths. Hollywood had got it all wrong when it came to the supernatural genre and we were living examples of it.

"Yeah even I thought it would be all gloomy and shady instead of this?" said Jake emphasizing on the word 'this' with his hands.

"A group of vampires living like a family, strange never seen something like this" said Nahuel with wonder and Maysun nodded her head in agreement.

Suddenly the door was yanked open and a man with blond hair and golden eyes walked out. He was followed by a woman with caramel colored hair and golden eyes. I recognized the man as the head of this coven Dr. Cullen and remembered him from that one meeting I had had with him in Forks hospital before I phased. The woman looked older than the age of going to high school like the other members of his coven did and I deduced that she was Mrs. Cullen. Both have them had warm but cautious smiles on their face and came to stand in front of us. Carlisle was standing a little ahead of the woman in a way to protect her against the unknown stating that they were a mated couple.

"Hello I am Carlisle and this is my wife Esme" he said looking at all of us. His eyes stopped for a few seconds at the hybrids looking at them curiously before he looked back at me as I looked the eldest, waiting for an answer.

"I am Sam Uley, the chief of the Quileute tribe" "This is Jacob Black, the alpha" I said pointing at him "And these are Jared Cameron and Embry Call and I am assuming you already know who we are"

He nodded his head slowly "Yes I figured from the surnames, I remember Ephraim and Levi, we had formed a good friendship and they are?" he said looking at the hybrids with a smile albeit warily.

"This is Nahuel and his sister Maysun" said Jake "They are vampire-human hybrids"

"I see" said Carlisle with shock evident on his face "I never knew something like this was possible"

"Our father is a vampire and our mother was human" said Nahuel explaining

Carlisle looked deep in thought as if contemplating on this and we waited for him to say something ahead.

"Would you like to come inside?" said Esme warmly and politely, breaking the silence as if us turning up was an everyday occurrence for her or a well practiced charade that they had mastered over the centuries.

"Yes please come in" said Carlisle politely "I figure our talk will be a long one and will be one rather inconvenient to have on the front porch. I can see the vampire genes in you both" he said looking at the hybrids "This is marvelous, I never knew something like this was even possible"

Jake looked at me and I hesitantly nodded my head, we would have to go inside and trust them if we wanted their help.

"Could you open the windows? The scent will be unbearable for us" I said as nicely as I could, our wolves would be jumping to phase in this close proximity to them and we could use the open windows in case we needed to escape if it is a trap.

"Oh yes of course" said Carlisle "Esme dear"

Esme gave him a smile and walked inside the house and we all followed Carlisle in. We walked through the front door and up a set of spiral stairs before we reached a living room. It was brightly lit and well decorated but my attention was on the five vampires sitting in the living room waiting for us patiently, having heard every word that was said outside, putting me instantly on alert. Suddenly I felt a wave of calm pass over me relaxing me completely though I could tell that it was the result of a vampire power and I looked around me curiously to find the source of the calmness.

"These are our children" said Carlisle with a smile "Edward, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper" he said introducing each one and I noticed their expressions as he said their names, the one named Rosalie was glaring and looking at us like we were the dirt stuck to her shoe, Alice had a confused expression on her face, Emmett's face was playful and Edward looked like he was concentrating too hard. The one named Jasper had taken a military like stance and was looking at us calculatingly.

'Jasper' I recognized the name. Was he the Major, the God of war that the hybrids had spoken of?

Edward nodded his head

Ah so he is the mind reader who was mentioned in the original treaty

He nodded his head again confirming what I had thought and I muttered a 'stay out of me head leech' to which he rolled his eyes

"So Mr. Uley" said Carlisle motioning us to sit on the plush sofa and we hesitantly sat though I kept my stance alert and ready for attack in case required "What can we do for you? I thought that the chief was always a Black"

"It was in the earlier generations" said Jake firmly "But now it is Sam"

He nodded his head slowly taking in what was said

"Actually we are here to talk to the Major" I said coming straight to the point, looking at Jasper and gauging his reaction and he suddenly straightened up on the couch and waited for me to continue.

"You have already heard of who we are and of the hybrids but we are here to talk about Maria"

"What about her?" he asked and everyone else also looked at us curiously.

I looked at Nahuel and he started giving them a brief version of his story, of Jennifer and of how and why they had reached La Push looking for protection. When he finished I looked at Jasper who was quietly listening with no clear expression on his face. Esme was sobbing lightly after listening to what Nahuel, Jennifer and Maysun went through as children while Carlisle was consoling her, Alice still looked in a daze and Edward looked like he was still trying to read our thoughts, which was frankly irritating and a complete invasion of privacy worse than the pack mind to which Edward shamelessly chuckled in reaction. Emmett looked excited for a fight and Rosalie looked bored and was filing her nails.

"Well Maria has fallen to a new low though I can't say I am too surprised" said Jasper after a few minutes "I always knew she was bat shit crazy"

"Jasper" chided Esme

He gave a small laugh and said "Sorry mom" though she just looked a few years older than him.

The entire sight felt weird for some reason and I felt my pack brothers look equally confused though I ignored it. We were not here to judge their family dynamics, they could call each other whatever they wanted and with their immortality their real age rarely mattered anyways.

"So she is coming here with an army?" asked Emmett with a huge grin

I nodded my head surprised at his enthusiasm for a fight as he mumbled a 'cool'.

"Perhaps I can talk to her and make her understand that this is wrong and…" started Carlisle

Jasper rolled his eyes at Carlisle's words and I felt like I should do the same. Did the man even hear one word of what Nahuel said? "Carlisle this is Maria, my sire. She is way above what is morally right and wrong. To keep it in a few words, she just doesn't care and this Joham sounds equally bad with his maniac antics. If they have decided to fight there will be a fight no matter what you or I try"

"But son" said Carlisle but Jasper interrupted him and looked at us

"What do you want from me?"

"Well to be honest she is your sire, you know her better than any of us. Any help that you can provide that can better our odds of winning is good enough for us" I said. Jasper seemed like a decent man to talk to and I had a feeling that he was the empath which was soon clarified by Edward's nod.

Jasper nodded his head after a few minutes and Edward suddenly glared at him. Jasper ignored his rude glare and looked at us.

"I want to fight with you and your pack if it is okay but I have a condition"

I was shocked at his words. He wanted to fight alongside us to end his own sire, his creator? Well subconsciously I had always hoped for this reaction but I had thought that it would be tougher than this. It was not his fight after all and he was not bound to help. I looked around me, his entire family looked equally shocked but it seemed like they were waiting for us to leave before they questioned his decision as no one said a word in protest.

"What condition?" asked Jake hesitantly

"I will be the one to kill her. I have to complete the work I had left incomplete when I left her army. I should have pulled her head out that day only, when I had the chance. This has gone on for far too long. Maria is the filth of our world that needs to end and I, her beloved major wants to be the one with this honor" he said in a menacing tone crushing the phone that was in his hands.

Well okay, that was not what I expected. He currently looked threatening to me too and my wolf was howling at me to let him come out and I was barely restraining him. If he wanted to kill his own sire that was his lookout. Till he helped us and did not kill or harm humans what he did in his personal life fell in the category of none of my business. If he wanted to be the one to light the match for Maria, I would say be my guest. I looked at Jake and he nodded his head in agreement and we conveyed this to Jasper who gave us a small slightly evil smile in return and now we had an ally in Jasper Cullen, as they say enemy of my enemy is a friend.

"Why are you called the God of War?" asked Embry changing the topic slightly

His entire demeanor changed and pride filled his voice "I was the youngest major in the confederate army when I was changed and after joining her coven I proved to be a vicious fighter and practical strategist and climbed up the ranks quickly. You see the scars on my body" he said lifting his full sleeved t-shirt to show his arms which were marred by a thousand of scars which I recognized as vampire scars directly making him seem more deadly than before "They are from the vampires I fought and defeated"

All of us who were not in knowing of this story looked at him in shock and newly found respect.

"No wonder Maria is still finding a replacement for you" said Jared with a nervous laugh "Why did you leave her though?"

Jasper sighed "That life was not for me. I could not tolerate the constant bloodshed, violence and monster like feeding. It was killing me piece by piece plus my power of feeling emotions felt like a bane instead of being a gift"

I nodded my head. It must have been hard to live like that. Also feeling everyone's emotions while you kill them cannot be easy.

"When did you say that this newborn army is coming?" asked Alice frowning

"Like you don't already know Aly" said Emmett in a teasing tone

She huffed loudly "I seriously don't Emmett. They make me blind" she said pointing at us irritatingly before muttering under her breath of how she hated not being able to see the future. To be honest her antics reminded me of a spoilt child who throws a tantrum when he does not get his way and I wondered how the others managed to bear this. Edward glared at me but I ignored him. If he did not like what I thought he should stay out of my head.

"We anticipate around three weeks" said Nahuel

She stared at us frowning before looking at Jasper "Jazz, you know you can't be a part of this irrelevant massacre, we have to be in Milan in three weeks for the Milan fashion week. You know how excited I am for it" she said pouting and Jared gave me a look that said 'is she serious?' I was thinking the same at the moment. Did she just call a fight for life an irrelevant massacre?

"Alice" said Jasper exasperatedly "You know how important this is for me"

"But Jazz, Edward will meet Eleanor there. She lives in Valetta, Malta. You know how sunny it is there. This is Edward's only chance to meet his mate for the next ten years as our paths will not cross again till then and by then she will be in her late twenties and will look at Edward like a child and will refuse to become like us to be with him" she said sounding like a little child who had been denied candy.

"Mate?" questioned Jake suspiciously "Is she human?"

Carlisle sighed before nodding his head "Yes it seems my son's mate is still human"

"Are you going to change her?" asked Jared

"Of course, why will I leave my mate human?" said Edward looking offended

"You do realize that is a breach of the treaty and if you bite her you cannot return to Forks ever" said Jake

Alice huffed "We don't plan to come back to Forks or USA for that matter"

"We don't?" asked Emmett surprised

Alice shook her head "I don't see it. Eleanor prefers Europe more and after her newborn year which will be in Italy by the way, we will move to Torshavn, Faroe Islands followed by Norway and Iceland"

Rosalie scowled loudly but did not say anything and Alice continued "Oh Edward, she is so lovely. I have seen it. She loves fashion and haute couture as much as me and I am going to have so much fun with my new sister"

Edward just gave her a smug look.

"Can we come back to the topic at hand?" said Jasper annoyed

"So you see Jazz, we need to leave for Milan" said Alice

"I am not going anywhere Alice" said Jasper firmly "I am going to stay here and fight this battle"

"But son" said Carlisle "I don't think we should involve ourselves in this fight. Fighting is wrong and unnecessary also you know that you need to be there to welcome our new family member. It will look good for our family if all my children are there when Edward meets her"

I was shocked to hear the kind doctor's words who was sprouting of peace and compassionateness just a few minutes back.

Jasper sighed loudly

"Don't do it Jasper" said Edward shaking his head but Jasper ignored him

"In that case Carlisle I will have to leave your 'family' as I choose to stay back here and maybe it is time to take a good hard look at my life decisions"

Carlisle opened his mouth to say something but Alice interrupted him "But Jazz"

Jasper growled "Stop calling me Jazz. It annoys me and you know that and Alice you always knew that we were not mates but companions who diverted to one another in loneliness and we have been nothing more than occasional lovers for the past few decades. Heck we even have separate rooms. I think it is high time I start looking for my real mate"

"You will become uncouth and savage like that Peter you call brother if you leave us. We keep you sophisticated and human" shouted Alice

Jasper growled "In that case I want to be uncouth and savage like the vampire I am"

"Fine then" said Alice pouting "If you change your mind come to Italy, we will be attending school there"

Rosalie scoffed "Well actually Emmett and I won't be there"

"Rosie" said Emmett and she gave him a quick kiss silencing him

"We are staying back with Jasper to fight. I will not let a young child suffer more than she already has if I can help it and Jennifer is a kid who does not deserve any of this but remember I am only doing this for the kid and Emmett will do it for me" said Rosalie and I nodded my head in understanding

"Rosalie" said Esme with pain in her voice

"Sorry Esme I think it is time that we both adopt the McCarty surname"

"Are you sure Rosie?" asked Emmett

She nodded her head "If we survive this I want us both to be a nomadic couple for a while. I am so done attending high school and pretending to be human"

Emmett chuckled and nodded his head

Esme sobbed as she hid her face in Carlisle's chest and Carlisle sighed heavily "We always knew that you both will choose to leave one day but always remember that you are our children if you want to come back"

Emmett and Rosalie nodded their heads hugging Esme and Carlisle

"Well Esme, Alice, Edward and I will still be leaving in the next few days. We want to be settled in Milan before Eleanor turns up" said Carlisle as was expected of him

"So Sam" said Jasper grinning "Do you have vacancy for a few more vampires as I know many who have grudges against Maria and will readily fight to burn a piece of her head"


	23. Chapter 23

Thank you Taylor9901, sarae32, catgrl, brankel1, MammaNita4 and the guest reviewer for you reviews.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting, work has been hectic these past few days. I will try to complete the remaining chapters as soon as possible. Thank you for reading and I hope you like this chapter.

In my story vampires recognize their mate through her/his scent specially made to remind them of their home. They cannot harm their mate in any way and it is irreversible.

Chapter 23-

Sam POV:

"So you are trying to tell me that you want to form a new treaty with a bunch of red eyed 'human blood drinking leeches'?" asked Billy raising an eyebrow, his face completely serious with a hardened expression accompanying it.

I silently nodded my head and he looked at me like I was a raving lunatic escaped from a psychiatric hospital with no clue of what he had just blabbered. I sighed though I had already expected this reaction. Heck the idea was preposterous to me too and I would sure have considered another person insane if he had been the one to suggest it but a thirsty man searching for water in a hot desert hardly has many choices to choose from.

He took a deep breath and his face turned towards curiosity "But why?"

"Billy" I started with my explanation finding it a bit odd not to be adding the word chief before his name like I was habituated to "I am a desperate man, desperate to protect my land, desperate to protect my people and desperate to protect my imprint who I would rather die than see in pain. I am clutching at straws here and I will do everything I can to ensure that we survive this bloodshed that is bound to happen in the next fifteen days. I don't care about my self respect or my enmity towards them at the moment as I have more important things to think of"

He was quiet for a few minutes as if analyzing me "Desperation is not a good quality to have in a chief son"

I looked up to meet his eyes when he said the word 'son'. 'Son' was a word I had rarely heard addressed to me but looking at the man sitting in front of me I knew that he was not only the former chief of this tribe but also a man who had seen me grow up and had witnessed every milestone of my life. Billy had once been a very close friend of my father but after my father left town he had only observed and looked after me and my grandmother from afar ashamed that he had failed to stop the man he considered his best friend from making mistake after another though it had hardly been any fault of his. You cannot stop a man hell-bent on ruining his life, the most you can do is offer him advice and hope that he takes it.

I shook my head looking at the floor "I know it is not but with all due respect no former chief had to go through this much bullshit just months after taking up the position" I said with a slight chuckle

He nodded his head slowly "Okay I am ready to listen and will try to understand. Tell me why you think this is something we should do"

I took a deep breath as I mentally framed my sentence "considering the circumstances I think this would be an appropriate measure for us to take to ensure the best for our tribe. We shape shifters cannot survive without the basic needs such as sleep or food but they can. They don't sleep and human drinkers only need to feed once in two weeks. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie still feed from animals…"

"But their friends don't" interrupted Billy cringing

I nodded my head "Yes they don't but Jasper has assured us that their friends only feed on criminals or the mentally ill and when they want to feed they will run to Seattle or any other major city where the crime rate is more rampant so as to avoid killing an innocent"

He was quiet for a few minutes leaving me alone to my thoughts. It had been nearly five long days since our meeting with the Cullens and finding allies in Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. Due to Carlisle Cullen declaring that they were planning to change Edward Cullen's human mate and his seer daughter's prediction that they were never returning to Forks, he with Edward had met me three days back at the border to announce that they four were leaving and the treaty signed by him and Ephraim Black was now null and void. They were never returning to the area no matter how many centuries or millennium pass and if they do, the then wolf pack was free to dismember and burn them. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper had been sad and reluctant to see them leave as it was a confirmation to their new reality and they had spent decades together living as a happy family but Carlisle had told them that they were always welcome to join his family again if not today then a few decades later. They were immortal and a decade or two hardly made much difference but Jasper had clearly specified that even if he considered the decades he spent with the Cullens to be good and peaceful that chapter of his life was over and he was only going to move forward now. Emmett and Rosalie had not given a definite answer, leaving it to the future but for now they were nomads who undertook the surname McCarty though all three of them had assured Carlisle that they were continuing with the animal diet he so earnestly propagated. Rosalie and Emmett had fed on animals since the time they were changed and wanted to stick to it as it was familiar and Jasper found it comforting not to feel his prey's emotions while he fed, to which Carlisle had said that he was proud of them. Carlisle and Esme had decided to leave their current house to Rosalie and Emmett but they had refused saying that they did not want anything tying them down in their new life and they wanted to be free to go wherever their feet took them and mainly this house belonged to the Cullen family which they no longer belonged to and so reluctantly Carlisle and Esme had put their current house up for sale and were now waiting for buyers. Carlisle Cullen had said that Alice would know when the correct buyer would approach and with the help of their real estate agent and lawyer they would manage to complete the necessary proceedings without stepping in this part of the Olympic Peninsula again.

Edward Cullen had very smugly told Jasper that after he decided to leave the family, Alice had seen a new vision in which she was with her true mate who was a nomad from England named Alistair and he was a polar opposite of Alice with him being as quiet and preferring solitude as Alice was chirpy and a people's person and they six would live very happily together, expecting that Jasper would get jealous hearing this but he had graciously told him that he was very happy for Alice and finding a true mate was a joyous occasion and he had nothing against her till she did not interfere in his life. They had spent decades together after all and he did not want to keep any harsh feelings towards her or anyone else in the family. Edward had also added as a last thought that she could not see anything of Jasper's mate which either meant that his mate was a shield or was not yet born to which Jasper had replied that if she was truly a shield and he found her great but he also had no problem waiting for her to be of age if she was yet to be born. As of now he only wanted to concentrate on finding himself and spending time with his brother and sister- Peter and Charlotte.

After talking for some more time to his adopted children Carlisle had left town forever with his remaining family and Jake and I had taken the three remaining vampires now known as Jasper Whitlock, Emmett McCarty and Rosalie Hale McCarty to a house in Forks where they would be temporarily residing till the battle. The house which they were staying in was owned by Charlie Swan and was the house where Bella had grown up and lived till she was eleven years of age after which Charlie had married Sue and moved to the res. Charlie had never sold this quaint looking house that he had inherited from his parents and held a lot of memories and when I had asked him if the vampires could stay here for the time being as a base for them to keep their belongings, shower and relax he had readily agreed saying that he wanted to help us in our fight in however way he could and anyways this house had been empty since years and so with a few basic repairs they three had moved into the two bedroom house in Forks and the other vampires they had called would soon be joining them there. They had offered to stay in the woods till the battle as they were no longer Cullens with the privilege of staying in that house they had earlier lived in but fifteen days was a long time to go without a shower and a change of clothes amongst other basic necessities and so we had offered them Chief Swan's empty house.

"Samuel" said Billy pulling me out of my thoughts "Do you think this a good idea?" which actually meant 'Can we trust them?'

I nodded my head "Jasper has been honest with us with his description of Maria and the fighting techniques that he had learnt in the years he spent fighting for her, which gives us no reason to doubt him and Emmett and Rosalie are loyal to him if not to us. Mainly they have the same goal as ours and that is motivation enough for us to trust them"

"What about the other vampires that are coming?" he asked suspiciously "They have no reason to support us or stay loyal to our tribe"

"We will keep an eye on them Billy but Jasper has taken guarantee for them and said that they are like family to him and they also want vengeance against Maria and will fight to destroy her"

He nodded his head as his face took over a confused expression "But why sign an agreement? We can let them stay in Forks unharmed till they don't kill a human on our land or in Forks. Why sign a treaty for that?"

I took a deep breath. This was it. Time to disclose what I had in mind when I thought of forming a treaty with them "I want to allow them inside La Push"

The expression on his face changed drastically and was now somewhere between shock and horror

"No" he said raising his voice "Absolutely not"

I had a feeling that if Billy was capable of walking he would no doubt be pacing the floor at the moment.

"Billy we have no definite boundaries from where the leeches will attack. What if they come via the route of water? We will be at a disadvantage as the vampires will not be able to enter our land to fight and we cannot chase them in water. I have spoken to Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie about this. They have agreed to patrol the res with one of ours and throughout the night as they don't need to sleep and can take longer patrols which will lessen our burden. I only want permission for them to enter our land to patrol and fight for these two weeks. A treaty will bind them not to harm a human accidently or not as they could be killed if they did. It will be like an extra security"

He sighed loudly shaking his head "I understand where you are coming from but they are bloodsuckers and have never been permitted to enter our land in all these years. If they entered they were destroyed. We cannot just break the rules formed by our elders"

"Billy, Maria and her army are not going to ask our permission before attacking us in our land and rules can be bended for the good of the tribe. They were formed for our benefit and I am sure the people who formed these rules would agree that protecting our people is more important than following some rule formed hundreds of years back"

He gave out a slight laugh "I had never thought I would live to see the day when we would be making allies with a bunch of vampires to fight a common enemy"

"Me too Billy me too" I said. When I had first phased and become the alpha I had never thought that such a day would come in our life. Those days seemed like ages ago now when I thought of it, the newness of being a wolf, the tension of being the alpha and the need to be near Bella. How tough those days felt like but now when I thought of it, it felt like child's play compared to what we were going to face in the near future.

"What about the kids who will phase because of this?" he asked gloomily

"They will phase irrespective" I said regretfully "No matter if we partner with vampires or not. Our genes get activated when there is a threat and this army coming is a definite threat. No wonder even Jason and Ben who don't live here phased"

He sighed heavily "More kids who will suffer"

"There is nothing we can do now. The gene is probably already activated. I will check from the tribal clinic to see if any parent has got their child tested for the usual symptoms of the first phase"

He nodded his head "So who all are coming from their side?"

"Jasper's brother Peter and his wife Charlotte" I said. I had decided a while back that if I wanted to peacefully work with vampires to destroy our common enemy instead of calling them derogatory names like leech and bloodsucker I was going to treat them like people so that it became easier to work with them. Well not all of my pack agreed with me on this *coughPaulcough* but still they were trying to be cordial with them and even Paul had developed a sort of friendship with Emmett. "Peter's friend Garrett who is also from the military background and they are also trying to convince the Denali sisters who Rosalie is friends with. They live in Alaska and feed on animal blood like the Cullens"

He nodded his head "I will talk to the other members of the council but as the chief you will be able to overpower them if you really want to make the treaty with these vampires"

I nodded my head in agreement "I do"

He sighed before picking up the landline from the table as I made my way towards the door. It was time to run to the vampire base camp in Forks to see if our guests had arrived.

Bella POV:

'Stop dwelling over it' I mentally chided myself 'Stop over thinking and ruining everything. It will be okay' I repeated to myself for the hundredth time as I stirred the Bolognese sauce I was currently in the process of making.

"Bella are you okay?" whispered Jennifer coming and standing next to me looking at me with a worried expression on her face.

I nodded my head trying to look normal though it did not look like she bought it even for a second.

"Seriously you don't look okay" she mumbled under her breath as she played with her hands nervously

"I am fine" I said nonchalantly waving the stirring spoon in the air "Just thinking of what else you need to learn in your cooking 101 class"

She nodded her head still not believing me and I went back to my stirring. To help Jennifer, Maysun and Nahuel adapt to their human side and the ins and outs of it, Emily and I had decided to teach them the basic skills of cooking and in Emily's case baking, so that they could at least try to survive on human food after they left from here though it was necessary for them to have one glass of blood every few days to keep their vampire side under control and not harm a human in the woes of thirst. Maysun and Nahuel was not that patient when it came to learning how to cook/bake but Jennifer was a quick learner and was even learning how to knit from Sue to take it up as a hobby. In these short few days that the hybrids had been here they had already become like an extended family to the pack and all the others who were in the knowing. For the outsiders though they were pretending to be my cousins from Charlie's side who had come down to visit me. After observing the Cullens and seeing how they lived in the human world, meeting humans everyday and maintaining full time jobs without a problem, the hybrids had decided to take a page out of their book and try to live in society instead of hiding in the jungles of the Amazon like they had for so long and so all of us imprints had started a new mission 'Teach the hybrids how to be human'. Under this mission Rachel and Billy, who had graciously offered to help, were teaching them the routine stuff one learnt in middle school and bit of high school so that they could either start from high school like the Cullens did or skip high school and go to college directly if they chose so.

Kim was teaching them how to drive and had also taken them shopping with Rachel in tow to buy some new clothes and modern gadgets such as a Smartphone that they had not yet owned after which they had taught them what a wonderful place the internet was. Charlie had offered to teach them how to manage stocks and everyday things such as changing a flat tire and filling oil in a car and Leah had offered to help Jennifer in coming out of her shell and in trying to make her confident in her own skin like she had years back done for me. Maysun was not as under confident as Jennifer but living with Joham for so many years had left an impact and made them both question their own self worth and it was a slow process to get their confidence back but Leah was working on it and had taken them both under her wings. People like Joy Ateara and Tiffany Call who were in the knowing were also helping and were teaching them the basic skills of business and running a shop as they both owned a grocery store and souvenir shop respectively and even the pack members in the rare occasion when they were not patrolling, sleeping or eating were teaching the hybrids on how to be teenagers and the modern lingo popular these days. They had also taken them cliff diving, from the higher level which they could survive thanks to their supernatural side and were being shown the latest movies to pass time and learn how to be more human and Seth's PlayStation was next on the list of what to teach them.

So here I was in the kitchen in Sam's house teaching Jennifer how to make Bolognese sauce from scratch. Nahuel had made the excuse of meeting Quil and had run out of the house like his tail was on fire as soon as he saw me enter and Maysun had bailed out on us to go shopping with Kim and Emily.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Jennifer

I shrugged and gave her a small smile. In the past few days I had made it a point to hide my worries from everyone else and keep them strictly confided in the recesses of my mind as it made no sense to worry everyone around. Cooking did help though as it diverted my mind from the swirling thoughts on my mind every time Sam went out to patrol and I worried if he would come back unharmed or if a vampire would attack him out of nowhere. Seriously I had never known I was this much of an over thinker and a worrywart in reality. I wondered if the others knew of this.

"I worry about them too you know" she whispered looking at the floor "All of you have been so kind to us…" she trailed off

"They will be okay" I told her assuring myself as well "The pack looks after one another and the vampires are also helping them right" I added with a small smile

"How can you trust them?" she said looking into my eyes. I could see the fear and distrust clearly in them.

"Who vampires?" I asked though I already knew the answer

She nodded her head playing with the hem of her shirt

"I know you don't trust their kind because of your past but not all of them are bad, at least they are not all bad and these ones have proved their loyalty to the pack"

She nodded her head hesitantly as I worried about her trust issues. She did not trust anyone other than her siblings at this point and she had just started trusting us. She needed to be more trusting of people in life and even with us the fear in her eyes was present when she was introduced to anyone new.

Before I could tell her anything else a loud noise in the backyard pulled our attention and I took Jennifer's hand as I pulled her with me towards the source of the noise. Most of the boys were still patrolling and the ones who were not were supposed to be in Forks to meet the new vampires to arrive and we were not expecting anyone right now so what was this loud banging noise?

The sight in front of me as we took a step out of the backdoor chilled me to my bones and we both stood there frozen unable to move. I felt my heartbeat quicken from fear. My worst nightmare proudly stood in front of me, glaring at me with pale skin, brown hair and blood red eyes.

He just stared at us occasionally snarling and I felt Jennifer's hand tighten in mine as she started shaking. Even though she had qualities of a vampire she was no match for a full one. I wanted to shout for help. Surely one of the boys would be nearby but when I opened my mouth no voice came out and I could only feel air escape reminding me that this was my worst nightmare come to life. My feet still refused to move, firmly fixing me to the spot I stood at, two feet outside the backdoor. A part of me thought of running in and locking the door but what purpose would that solve. A locked door was no hurdle for a vampire with inhuman strength and I would only succeed in prolonging my life by mere seconds.

Why wasn't anyone from the pack here yet?

"You smell divine" said the vampire menacingly glancing at us and I shivered in fear.

"B…Bella" whispered a scared Jennifer with quivering voice and I did not even have the energy inside me to console her. I was too petrified myself to do that.

I locked eyes with my supposed killer waiting for him to pounce. A part of me still held the hope, that maybe someone from the pack would get alerted and reach here before he pounced on us but with every passed second the hope was diminishing within me.

I could hear every small sound nature was making around us, the chirping of the birds, the rustling of trees and the howls that were too far away.

I took a deep breath as he took a step ahead almost in slow motion making my heart beat even faster and an evil grin crossed his face as if my fear was making my blood even more sweet.

He had taken two steps ahead when something flew from the treetop right next to him smacking him loudly on the head.

"Ow woman" he said rubbing his head "What was that for?"

Jennifer and I looked at each in shock quite not grasping what was happening in front of us.

"That was for scaring the poor girls" said the female vampire with blonde waist length hair and red eyes. She looked at us both apologetically before hitting the male vampire again on the arm making him wince.

"Please forgive my husband, he lost his manners and brain in the early 1900's and is roaming without them since" she said chirpily looking at the male vampire and he gave her a cheeky grin in return. She looked at our confused expression and added "Sorry sugar I forgot to introduce myself. I am Charlotte Whitlock and this moron here is my husband Peter Whitlock"

The familiar names rang a bell in my mind as I put a hand to my heart calming myself down. These were the vampires on our side in the fight. We were not in danger.

I felt like shouting at this Peter for scaring us so badly and almost giving me a heart attack but before I could speak he opened his mouth again "Sorry ma'am I apologize for my prank but my gift told me this was the best way to break the ice and introduce us both" he said with a southern accent pointing at his head with a finger.

I nodded my head slowly, a million questions making their way in my mind but before I could ask even one I heard growling coming from the woods and the pack led by Sam's black wolf came out of it in a V formation. Seth and Jason still in wolf form came and stood in front of us and the others threateningly growled at Peter who was still standing with a smirk on his face but his wife looked slightly afraid and was now in crouching position ready to defend herself.

Another two vampires came out of the woods and stood in front of Peter and Charlotte protectively, one with blonde hair and golden eyes and the other with black shoulder length hair, a goatee and red eyes.

"Sam please tell your pack to phase back" said the one with blonde hair sighing "This idiot is my brother Pete"

Numerous growls were all I heard in return before Sam and Jake phased back leaving the others still in wolf form. Sam came and wrapped an arm around me protectively, breathing in my scent before he looked at Peter and growled loudly.

"This was not funny" he said shaking as I put my hand on his arm calming him down

"I know man I know" said Peter shaking his head "But my Yoda told me this was necessary"

The blonde haired vampire hit his head with his hand as he sighed "You and your Yoda. We were waiting for you both in Forks"

Peter gave him a grin "Sorry Major. You know it has never steered us wrong"

"Yoda?" asked Jake confused and we all looked at him for an answer

"I am a clairvoyant. I don't see it as much of a gift rather a sixth sense that tells me where I have to be and what I have to do at times. It has never steered me wrong though and has helped me survive difficult situations a thousand times before and it told me that this was necessary. I don't know why yet"

Sam took a deep breath burying his face in my hair and breathing heavily for a few minutes. Jake told the others to go back to patrolling and only he and Sam remained. I hugged Sam tighter letting myself relax in the feeling of safety and comfort.

He let me go after a few minutes though he kept my hand tightly enclosed in his.

"Jasper, Garrett I think you should take Peter and Charlotte and go back to the house in Forks. This is not a good time to talk. I need to spend some time with my imprint. I will come to meet you later" said Sam

Jasper nodded his head and made a move to leave but was stopped by Peter's words as he tipped an invisible hat "I am sorry once again ma'am"

I nodded my head and gave a small smile in return to Charlotte who was giving me a huge grin. All of them turned back to leave through the woods when Peter once again turned and looked at Jennifer who I had forgotten was standing next to me in all of this chaos.

"You are Jennifer right?" asked Peter curiously and I felt Jennifer hide behind me in fear.

Suddenly the one named Jasper scented the air a few times and looked at Jennifer before his jaw dropped open wide. Various emotions played through his face which somewhat reminded me of imprinting and the way he looked at Jennifer was similar to how Sam looked at me, Jared looked at Kim, Embry looked at Rachel and Quil looked at Emily.

I looked at Sam who nodded his head looking shocked.

"I knew it brother" said Peter patting Jasper on his back as Jasper still looked in a daze. Garrett and Charlotte too congratulated him by hugging and giving him a pat on the back.

"Please can we go inside" whispered Jennifer looking scared out of her senses. I had a doubt of whether she had understood what had just happened or not. It was clear that this Jasper had imprinted on her.

I nodded my head as she pulled me towards the house. I could feel Jasper's eyes on Jennifer, staring at her with adoration and love till we reached the backdoor and I shut it tightly.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Remind me again why are we going to Victoria?" I asked my boyfriend who was currently driving his car on the road to Port Angeles. He gave me a peck on the cheek before looking ahead again.

"I have hardly got to see you this past week between the new phasing, running patrols, making plans with the vampires and what not. We deserve this break"

It had been five days since Peter Whitlock and Charlotte Whitlock's entry in town and a lot had happened since. Three new boys Collin Littlesea, Brady Fuller and Alex Cameron had phased for the first time making the pack total to 12 with six vampires by their side. The Denali sisters who Rosalie had called had refused to come saying that if Carlisle was staying out so were they but Jasper had ensured that he, Peter, Garrett and Charlotte were all terrific fighters and could handle several vampires at one time. Jasper was apparently an empath and he had felt Jennifer's fear and hatred towards vampires and so at the moment he was keeping his distance though he was confused why Jennifer was not feeling the effects of the mating. The only conclusion he had reached was that maybe her human side was not letting her discover it.

"Sam not that I am not glad but it unfair to the others" I said thinking that it was not fair that we were taking a break from all that stress when the others were still stuck there.

He shook his head "They know of this and they have approved and also I have taken double patrols the entire week so that I could take these two days off so please enjoy. I have planned a lot for us both and we still have some time before the battle" he said looking at me lovingly and a bit pleadingly.

I gave him a huge smile full of excitement "Well okay then"

He chuckled as he took my hand in his and we made our way towards Port Angeles with light music playing in the background.

The journey from Port Angeles to Victoria was around ninety minutes long and we had taken a ferry leaving our car behind in Port Angeles. The boat ride was comfortable and the captain even veered the boat slightly so that we could see some whales that were surfacing at a distance. Sam and I clicked a bunch of photos to keep it as remembrance.

After reaching Victoria instead of taking the usual route of touring Sam surprised me when he took me towards Victoria's historic Market Square where two bikes were waiting for us.

"This is a fantastic way to see Victoria" he told me as I nodded my head unsurely and made my way towards the bikes. We were in a small group of eight people with a local guide as we made our way to see the highlights of Victoria while we rode the bike. The tour was a complete snapshot of the city in a short amount of time and the local guide was extremely informative as he explained everything to us. We stopped at the British Columbia Parliament building, Emily Carr's house where we were told stories of the famous artist and took photos of her beautiful home. Her art was awe worthy and inspiring and the artist in Sam had a great time looking at them. The next stop was Beacon Hill Park from which we could see the amazing towering Douglas fir trees, natural wildlife, beautiful gardens and fountains. Our next stop after this according to the itinerary was Clover Point Park, Government house, the public market and Chinatown but before we could go ahead Sam took my hand and led me towards a medieval stone bridge that crossed Goodacre Lake in Beacon Hill Park.

"Wow" I said looking at the view around me in awe. It was truly beautiful and I could watch this the entire day.

"Bella" he said pulling my attention towards him. I frowned slightly when I took in his expression. He looked nervous, scared, excited and tensed all in one go as he kept touching something in his jeans pocket.

"Are you okay?" I asked him worriedly. I knew he could not get sick but he did kind of look sick right now.

He nodded his head and mumbled something like 'Hopefully I will be'. I looked at him for a few minutes just to be sure before diverting my attention back to the view around me.

And the next time my eyes fell on Sam he was kneeling down on one knee holding a wooden box in his hand with a white gold engagement ring lying on the red silk inside it.

I gasped at the sight as a few tears fell from my eyes and I covered my mouth in surprise. Was this really happening?

He took my free hand in his hand as I kept crying tears of happiness knowing what was coming ahead. This felt like a dream and I was scared that I would wake up any moment and would be back at home. I wiped a few stray tears from my eyes before Sam squeezed my hand tightly and spoke

"I know that we have only been together for a few months but it feels like I have known you since forever. The way your face turns red in an adorable blush at the smallest things, your smile that lightens up my day, your energy and positivity that keeps me going and give me the strength to wake up every morning and go on with my day no matter how difficult the circumstances are. You are my sunshine, my lighthouse and there are not enough words in the dictionary that I can use to describe what you mean to me. The only thing I can say is that I love you and I never want to stop loving you. I love your chocolate brown eyes that glisten every time you have an idea, your small little nose, your soft thin perfect lips, your thick brown hair that has natural red highlights in it and everything that makes you you. I love your simplicity and your loyalty, your crazy ideas that always work no matter how ridiculous they sound. I love every small or big habit of yours even if I find it annoying sometimes. Before I met you I never knew that it was possible to feel this much for someone and now that I know, I never want to stop. So Ms Isabella Marie Swan, will you give me the chance to become the luckiest man on this planet by becoming Mrs. Isabella Samuel Uley, the journey will not always be easy but I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to stop even one tear of pain from falling from your eyes. So tell me my beautiful Bella will you marry me and make me the happiest man to exist?


	24. Chapter 24

Thank you Taylor9901, catgrl, GomezAddams1, MammaNita4, sarae32 and brankel1 for your reviews.

Chapter 24-

"So tell me my beautiful Bella will you marry me and make me the happiest man to exist?"

Every second felt like an hour as I stared at the gorgeous, perfect in every way possible man kneeling on one knee in front of me. His eyes were filled with love and promises for tomorrow as he looked at me like I was an angel brought down to earth especially for him to love and adore. How did I get this lucky in life? What had I done to deserve to be able to call this man as 'mine'? He completed me in a way I never knew was possible in life and I had never known love so encompassing and pure before our eyes met and our world's changed forever. Our journey till here had not been easy but I knew that if I had him by my side I could face anything under the sun.

His eyes met mine, a questioning look in them as he waited for my answer. His eyes looked watery as he squeezed my hand. He had never been an emotional person and I had hardly if ever seen him cry but I knew that this moment was beyond beautiful for the both of us. It was hope before a storm, a promise for the tomorrow that was yet to come. A promise that no matter what happens five days from now I would always be his and he would always be mine.

I frantically nodded my head as the words slipped out of my mouth without any effort "Yes of course I will marry you". I did not need to think of it. I knew without a flicker of doubt that this man was my present and future till as long as we lived. It was as if all my dreams had come true at once when he gave me a dazzling smile and set the most beautiful ring I had ever laid eyes on in the third finger of my left hand before standing up and pulling me in his arms, his lips meeting mine in a soft kiss. A kiss filled with hope, love and dreams for tomorrow. He cradled my head like I was a porcelain doll as he kissed my forehead before letting me go though his arms stayed around me hugging me close to him just the way I always wanted him to be.

"I love you" I said taking his hands in mine

"I love you too" he said giving me a smile as I smiled back. It was still hard to believe that 'we were engaged' and he was my fiancé instead of boyfriend now. As a daydreaming preteen who was fascinated with the world of fairytales and stories I had often thought of this day when I would be proposed to but I had never thought that it would be so damn perfect and beautiful to witness. It was a magical moment, one that was better than any dream or daydream imaginable almost like it was my own fairytale.

"When did you plan all of this?" I asked him truly surprised. Of course I had known that we were heading in this direction like any other serious couple but I had not thought that it would be this soon and he would take so much effort to plan all of this. Between the looming threat on our heads and constant patrolling this past week though now I knew why Sam was always on patrol, I had hardly seen him when he was not sleepy, exhausted or hungry beyond words so this was an unexpected surprise for me that he had planned all of this for me.

"Since a while" he said "Since the time I started thinking of our future together which was months back I had planned to propose like this, standing on a bridge with water running beneath our legs as we gaze in the scenic view but with the battle coming for us I just brought it forward by a few weeks or months" he kissed my hand before talking again "I love you Bella, more than you know and I want the world to know this. No matter what happens tomorrow I want the world to know that my heart, my soul, my body only belongs to you. There is no one else for me and I wanted to give you a part of me incase…"

I covered his mouth with my hand "Nothing is going to happen to you or to anyone else. Let's not ruin our day by talking about the bad stuff"

"Our day" "I like the sound of it" he said grinning

I gave him a soft peck on the lips before nodding my head "Yup me too"

I took a look at the ring in the ring finger of my left hand. It was a simple traditional white gold engagement ring in the form of an oval cut solitaire. A smile adorned my face looking at it and the fact that Sam knew me so well to know that this was exactly the type of rings I liked simple yet beautiful.

"It was my grandmother's. She wanted it to be worn by my wife but if you don't like it I can buy you something else" he said nervously

I shook my head "It is perfect. I love it. It feels as if she gave us her blessings in the form of this ring"

"My grandfather and she lived a very happy life no matter how short it was. You know she used to tell me stories of him and how he used to call her his lucky charm and the one who made his life a much better place once she entered it and showed him what true love is. The look in her eyes was so pure when she spoke of him and she always used to joke that my grandfather was waiting for her on the other side but just like the stubborn girl who had refused to marry him till he made something out of his life she was still making him wait till she fulfilled her role in our world. I could see it in her eyes everyday how much she missed him and his presence in the smallest ways like when she cooked his favorite food or just saw a Mariners game" he said as if remembering those days of his childhood.

I lightly squeezed his hand "They are together now"

He nodded his head looking at me with his eyes full of affection "I wish I can make you as happy as my grandfather made my grandmother"

I gave him a smile "You do Sam, you do"

"You know who gave me the idea of proposing in Victoria?" he asked me

"Who" I asked curiously

"Charlie"

"What?" I asked flabbergasted

He nodded his head "Did you know that he had proposed to Sue in Victoria while they were having dinner on a weekend getaway?"

"Seriously?" I asked him astonished. I had never known that my father could even think of doing something so romantic let alone doing it.

"He hid the ring in a wine glass and Sue had already guessed it when she saw how he was fidgeting in his seat, touching his jeans pocket again and again and the nervousness on his face"

"Wow" I said laughing imagining my baseball watching, beer drinking boring father doing something like this for his girlfriend.

"He told me this when I went to ask him for your hand in marriage"

"You asked him if you could marry me?" I asked him

He nodded his head "I am a very traditional person in that way I will let you know"

"Tell me honestly did he scare you with his gun?" I asked him laughing

He gave out a small sigh "He only threatened me once to find a way to kill a supernaturally healing shape shifter if I ever hurt you so I would take that as an improvement"

I laughed loudly as I gave him a kiss which he quickly reciprocated wrapping his arms around me as I wrapped my hands in his hair, clutching to him like he was the air I needed to breathe.

"I missed this" he said when we finally broke apart

"Huh?" I asked him confused and still slightly in a daze

"This smiling happy Bella, you have been so aloof and worried since the past few days. I never want to see you like that again"

"You make me happy Sam" I told him looking into his eyes as a smile illuminated my face

"You make me the luckiest man to exist" he said and I could see the love and honesty in his eyes

We stood there in silence for a few more minutes before he sighed heavily shaking his head "I wish we could spend all day here but we truly can't, the tour will leave without us if we spend any more time here"

I nodded my head "Okay let's go"

He took my hand in his as we made our way back to the tour group to sightsee the remaining places on the itinerary though the air around us was definitely different than it had been twenty minutes back. Sam was no longer just my boyfriend, he was my fiancé and I would have screamed it to the world that 'We are engaged' if I could. But for now I was just content with holding his hand and roaming around but the smile that Sam had put on my face never once left me for the entire duration.

He kept my hand tightly enclosed in his as we saw Clover Point Park and the Government house before stopping for a late lunch at the Victoria public market which was a collection of the best food vendors in town including a shop owned by Canada's best Indian chef where we took in the spicy delicacies of their culture such as samosas and Kebabs and ate till our fullest which was truly a sight to witness for a hungry shape shifter.

Our next and last stop of the tour was Chinatown which was one of North America's oldest Chinatowns. We explored by foot the narrow alleyways, small shops and eateries and learnt about the settlers that helped put Victoria on the map before we reached our starting point again and thanked our tour guide before leaving the group. Our tour had lasted for nearly three hours but it felt like we had seen a lot of this beautiful place in this short of a time.

"So where are we going now?" I asked him

"That is a surprise" he said in a teasing voice

"More surprises?"

He nodded his head chuckling "This entire weekend is going to be filled with surprises so wait for them"

I gave him a half excited half impatient look "Come on tell me please"

A huge grin made its way on his face "Nope it is called surprise for a reason"

"I hate surprises" I mumbled under my breath too impatient to wait for it though internally I loved that he was making me feel so special.

He laughed louder "I can guarantee you will love this one"

I smiled at his happiness as he led me towards our destination.

We had hardly walked for a few minutes when he stopped and raised his hand to cover my eyes giving me the indication that we had almost reached our destination.

"Sam is this necessary?" I grumbled out though I would do anything for this man and to see him this happy and excited.

"Please Bella" he said giving me the puppy dog eyes and I sighed giving up. All these pack boys had their own version of 'puppy dog eyes' that was impossible to say no to. It felt like kicking a puppy when you said no when they made those eyes and Seth had started using this way too much when he wanted anything from Sue or me. Leah just flipped him the bird and walked out when he tried using it on her.

He covered my eyes as we took three steps ahead before he stopped again and removed his hand from my eyes.

My eyes widened and mouth dropped open at the sight in front of me "The Fairmont Empress"

I looked at Sam in shock. The Fairmont Empress was the most iconic hotel in Victoria and ranked in the top 21 Iconic hotels in the world. It was built like a castle and had the breathtaking view of the city's sparkling inner harbor.

He chuckled in return "It is a gift from the pack and the imprints"

"What?" I asked shocked "They knew? And they did this for us?"

He nodded his head "you know how it is in the pack, there are no secrets. They heard it from me during patrol and told their imprints who are desperately waiting for you to come back and for them to hound you with questions. They all then came up with the idea of joining their money and giving us this collective engagement gift"

"It is so thoughtful of them but it is too much Sam" I said. A hotel this grand and of such reputation cannot be cheap or even falling under the category of reasonable and I knew how hard those boys were struggling to put together money for their needs.

"I know and I told them the same but they strictly told me to keep quiet and accept the gift. They are family Bella and they see us like their older siblings. They wanted to give us this experience"

I nodded my head "We will do something for them in return"

"Yeah we will" he said "Now let's go inside?"

"Lead the way" I said excitedly as I followed him in admiring the sight in front of me and how beautifully and thoughtfully it had been designed and decorated.

We soon checked in, our booking already taken care of thanks to the pack and were led to our room which had the view of Victoria's inner harbor. It was a huge bedroom with a king size bed facing a Tv, a massive closet and a seating area with two armchairs facing two huge glass windows all elegantly decorated.

"Like it?" he asked me coming behind me and wrapping his arms around me as I leaned into him

"Love it" I answered

"You have not seen the best part yet"

"And what is that?" I asked curiously as he took my hand and led me towards the bathroom. A huge bathtub was placed on one side of the bathroom hidden by a white shower curtain.

"Fancy a bath with me?" he asked me, his voice filled with desire and lust and my face turned crimson as I nodded my head.

He quickly filled the tub with hot water and bubbles before undressing himself and getting in playfully splashing some water at me as I removed every piece of cloth that was over me and entered the tub sitting in between his legs, his arms wrapping around me as I leaned into him, his warmth relaxing me completely.

"Have I told you how perfect this is?" I asked running my hands through the bubbles in the water

He kissed the crook of my neck "A few times today"

"I love you" I told him

"I know" he said biting my neck as I moaned loudly

He washed my arms and torso with the hot water as he left soft kisses on my collar bone, neck, chin and earlobe before leaving kisses on my back as his hands started working their magic on my back.

A groan left my lips as he massaged my back muscles. His hands felt like magic and I could feel myself falling into his touch as I leaned into him in a way to be closer to him. I wanted him. I needed him.

"Sam" I moaned in pleasure as his hands started working their way up my belly button. His lips were now licking, kissing and biting my neck "I need you" I managed to speak out though moans, groans and grunts.

"I need you too" he said, his eyes dark black with lust, desire and want "But not here. I want to make love to you. It has been so long. I have missed you so much" he said as he got out of the bathtub picking me up in his arms as he led me towards our bed lightly putting me down on the soft white sheets as he took a towel and erotically started wiping every part of my body running his hands on my inner thighs making me moan and hiss in pleasure. He left soft kisses on every inch of my skin before meeting my lips in a passionate needy fiery kiss as his hands raked over my body and we started the melodious rhythm of exploring one another's bodies.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A few hours later when we were finally sated of our lovemaking we reluctantly got dressed and left the hotel for a Horse Carriage tour that Sam had booked for in advance. The horse-drawn carriage was scheduled to take us around the city in style through old residential neighborhoods and scenic waterfront roads touring the city under the light of the moon. I sat in his arms as we made our way admiring the scenic beauty and the nightlife of this city talking and kissing every few minutes as if we could not keep our hands off one another. Sam soon popped open a bottle of champagne a few minutes into the ride and poured down a glass for me as we clinked our glasses and celebrated the beginning of our new life and our future.

The next day began at a slow start as we slept in till late and made love again before going down for the wide variety breakfast buffet. The next few hours were spent in enjoying the facilities provided by the hotel. While Sam took a dip in the indoor heated swimming pool I chose to take a full body massage at the Spa soothing my nerves. Finally when we were both relaxed and the stress of the past few weeks was completely vanished we checked out of the hotel and made our way back to Port Angeles and to home.

A part of me was happy to be back but another bigger part of me was sad that our perfect weekend was now over. I wanted to go back to Victoria with Sam and relish in those memories again. God knows when we would get to spend such uninterrupted blissful time again and this trip to Victoria was always going to be embedded in my mind.

I played with my ring as we crossed the border entering La Push trying to avoid the foreboding feeling in my gut. It was a sign that our vacation was now over and we were back to reality and the current situation that was awaiting us. I knew it was selfish of me but I wanted Sam to just turn the car back and drive to anywhere just away from all of this where we could be together and happy without thinking of any threats or dangers. The fight with Maria, Joham and their newborns was just a few days away now and I could not hide the anxiety and stress I was undergoing. A lot was at stake and I just wanted this mess to end and for us to win without losing anyone.

"You are not getting rid of me so fast" said Sam giving me a comforting reassuring smile "I told you I am never letting you go and I have every intention of keeping that promise. We are going to get married, have two adorable children who will take after you in the looks department and maybe intelligence too and then in our forties after we will have worked our asses off to earn money and raise our children and send them to college, we will travel and see the world like a youthful middle aged couple who always has life stories to tell the others and cannot keep their hands of one another"

I laughed loudly "I will be old when I am forty. I will probably have wrinkles by then"

He shook his head "You will always be the most beautiful woman to exist in my eyes be it twenty forty or eighty makes no difference. I will still want you as much as I want you now and I will still know every curve of your body like I know it today" he said looking me up and down making me shiver.

"You are a charmer you know that?" I said regaining control of myself

He mock sighed saying "I am aware of that" making me roll my eyes

I saw that instead of taking the diversion towards his house he drove towards my apartment in order to drop me home and a part of me was instantly disappointed that our time spent together was getting cut and we were going back to our routine where he had patrol and his duties as a chief and I had work to look forward to and chores to do.

"When do you start patrolling again?" I asked him

"Not for another few hours" he said "And I am going to properly utilize these next few hours" he said winking at me

"You coming up?" I asked blushing

"I am not ready to let you go yet and everyone is always at my house so your apartment will have to do and also I am hungry, could you make me something to eat?" he finished with a pleading look

I rolled my eyes "Typical of you to think from your stomach"

He gave me a smirk "Now that is a lie. I think from my other part too"

"Sam" I chided him blushing

"What" he said feigning innocence "I was talking about my brain you dirty minded person"

I groaned as I hid my face with my hands embarrassed "Be serious"

He laughed loudly as he removed my hands from my face "You look like a cute kitten when you are embarrassed"

I stuck out my tongue at him in a totally childish manner as he parked the car before getting down laughing.

"I am going upstairs and you can go home" I said stomping my foot feigning anger. In reality I loved how carefree and happy Sam sounded right now like he had no worry in the world. It felt good to see him like this.

"Okay sorry I will be serious now" he said trying to hide his laugh and I looked the other way too to hide my smile.

"I wanted to ask you something though on a completely different serious note" he said all traces of humor vanished from his voice

I nodded my head waiting for him to speak ahead

"After the battle maybe you…" he said looking extremely nervous "I mean do you want to move in with me?"

I stared at him for a few minutes "Are you sure?"

He gave me 'Isn't it obvious look?' I started thinking about it. The reason why I had moved into this apartment in the first place was because I wanted to learn how to be independent and because I had just known Sam for a few weeks at that point of time and I did not want to jump into something unprepared and it had never come up after that but now everything was different. Sam was my fiancé and I knew him almost as good as I knew myself and these past few months had taught me how to live apart from my family managing everything on my own helping me in growing up.

Maybe we were ready for this step now. When I thought of what I wanted to do I did not even need to think too much, the answer was in the forefront of my mind.

I gave him a grin as I nodded my head "I would like that"

His answering grin was huge as he pulled me into his arms and gave me a chaste kiss.

"You have no idea how happy I am right now" he said before putting a hand around my waist and walking towards the locked door of my apartment. I quickly removed my set of keys from my purse and unlocked the door assuming to spend a few alone hours with Sam before getting back to reality.

"Surprise" shouted multiple voices making me look up at the room that should have been empty and dark. My mouth opened in shock as I stared at the entire pack, imprints, my parents, Billy and Sarah in attendance. I looked at Sam to ask if he knew of this but he looked equally shocked and shook his head.

"What are all of you doing here?" asked Sam

"We knew you would come here instead of coming to your own house" said Embry

"Like the horndog you are" interrupted Paul grinning

"So we decided to surprise you" continued Embry

"And eat good food" said Quil

"And congratulate you" said Rachel before coming and hugging me before telling me that she will ask for details later when we are alone.

Soon we were passed from person to person as we received ample of congratulations and best wishes from the people that truly mattered in our lives. Sam received multiple pats on the back for being the first engaged wolf in the pack. Sue's eyes had tears as she hugged me and looked at my ring and even Sarah's eyes were watery as she wished me for the future.

A small little tornado came running to me while I was telling Kim of the proposal and I picked her up in my arms "Hey Haze"

"Bella" she said kissing me on the cheek "I missed you. Mommy told me you are getting married"

"I missed you too and yeah I just got engaged. I will get married in a year or so" I said

"You hardly come home these days" she said pouting sadly

I did not know what to reply to that. Her allegation was completely true and all the promises that I had made when I left the house of visiting her daily, reading to her and making crepes for her were long forgotten. I felt like I had been a terrible elder sister and I promised myself to change that from this moment itself.

"Sorry" I said "I promise I will come home more often"

She gave me a huge smile before getting out of my arms and running back to where Sue was standing no doubt to tell her what I said.

I spoke to Kim for some more time before excusing myself and going to where Charlie was standing drinking a beer with Billy and eating a piece of pizza that they had ordered for this surprise party for us. He looked like he was deep in thought.

"Hey dad"

"Bells" he said nodding his head. I saw that even he looked more emotional than usual "You happy Kiddo?"

I nodded my head "Yeah dad more than I ever thought I could be"

"I am happy for you both Bells. Time has flown by so fast. I still remember the day when I carried you in my arms and brought you home from the hospital. You were so small and delicate. I used to worry that I would hurt you unintentionally and now look at you starting a new life. Sam is a good man though, he will keep you happy" he said as I hugged him wiping a few tears that were falling from my eyes. In this moment I knew that no matter how old I get I would always be his little girl who would need her father in her life.

I saw a lone figure standing in the corner and my feet lead me to her.

"Leah" I said as she turned to look at me

For once the English language had rendered me speechless for I knew of no words to say right now. How should I start this conversation? What should I say?

Luckily for me she removed me from my dilemma when she smiled at me "Congratulations"

"Thank you" I said hating this sudden awkwardness between us

"I have never seen him this happy Bella and neither have I seen you this happy" she said "We were never correct for one another. We used to fight so much you know in the end that I sometimes wondered if any love was left or not. In the last few months our relationship had become like a compromise. We were together partly because it was expected of us by everyone else at school and outside. We had been together for so long that I had no idea of how to be alone and maybe that fear is why I stretched onto what little was left. I now know that we would have separated sooner or later but for you both it is not a compromise or adjustment. You love one another and maybe I need to give my heart the chance to find such love too where love is more than just settling down"

Her eyes wandered to Paul who was staring back at her.

"Thank you" I said going and hugging her "I am so lucky to have a sister like you and you will have that love one day when he will be your need not your want"

She gave out a small laugh "Don't get emotional on me now" "We need to start planning you know. As your maid of honor I have so much to do and knowing you I will only have to do everything. You will get married in the backyard wearing a pair of jeans otherwise"

"I love you Leah" I told her grateful that I had such an amazing family who was so loving and supportive.

"You know I am not good with feelings and all that crap but I love you too" she said hugging me

"Whoa" said Quil coming to where we were standing looking at us in shock "Leah is not being sarcastic for once. Is the world ending?"

"Piss off Ateara" said Leah

Quil just gave her a smirk "Now that is the Leah we know and like"

Paul growled loudly glaring at Quil and if looks could kill Quil would be six feet under.

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me Paul" said Leah looking annoyed

"You called me 'Paul'" said Paul smirking proudly

"Duh that is your name genius" said Leah

"No you always call me Lahote" said Paul smiling

Leah looked at him disbelievingly "That is all you heard in the entire sentence your fucking name"

Paul and Leah started bickering though it looked more like a lover's spat and Sam came and wrapped his arms around me "I see the start of something good"

I nodded my head giving him a peck on the lips "Yeah"

Billy and Charlie soon played mediator and separated them both followed which all of us were told that a bonfire was organized tonight to celebrate our engagement in 'pack style' and even the hybrids and our allied vampires were invited and were going to listen to the legends for the first time in history which was a very big deal for the tribe allowing our enemies to be our guests.

The others soon left to go home and the ones who were on Patrol left for their turn. The vampires had been kind enough to take the responsibility of Patrolling alone for a few hours so that we could have this party but now it was time to relieve them. Even Sam soon left to go and connect with his wolf saying that he would pick me up in the evening to go to First Beach. Rachel, Kim, Emily and Leah stayed back to help me in cooking and to hound me for details of these past two days.

Soon it was time for the bonfire and Sam picked me up from my apartment to drive the short distance to First Beach. I put the baked potatoes and hot dogs I had prepared in the car before sitting next to him. Rachel and Embry joined us in the ride and the entire duration was spent laughing and talking.

Almost everyone had arrived by the time we reached and once again we were congratulated and given handshakes, hugs and pats on the backs by the ones who had not been there in the afternoon. I was introduced to the vampires properly namely Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Garrett and I had already known who Peter and Charlotte were thanks to their scaring incident.

Emmett reminded me a lot of Quil with his goofiness and Rosalie was somewhat like Leah. She was not superficial and said what was on her mind with no fear. Garrett was a little aloof but Sam told me that he had the best war stories to divulge in and apparently he and Maysun had been spending a lot of time together. They were not mates, which was their term for imprinting like I was told but they fancied one another and so were getting to know each other. In their world a vampire could go centuries without finding his mate and so companions were often taken. Jasper and Jennifer on the other hand were still keeping their distance and nothing more than pleasantries had occurred between them. They had decided against telling Jennifer of the mating as it would only scare her more if told before time. They wanted her to open up to Jasper before this topic came up.

Nahuel had surprised me the most though as he had recently started dating Collin's sister Caroline who was equally smitten and she was also his date for the night. Now that families were allowed to know of the truth Caroline had been told the truth of shape shifters, vampires and hybrids and she had taken it all in stride.

After a game of football between shape shifters and vampires while we all cheered on, we all had dinner and then sat across the fire as Billy started narrating the legends. I listened in awe as he narrated every tale and I saw the others do the same. Emily was taking notes and even Rosalie and Charlotte were listening with keen interest.

After the legends were over all the elders and parents retired to go back to their houses leaving us youngsters sitting around the fire. Embry and Rachel soon left as they had plans made for the night and even Nahuel left with Caroline. Seth dropped Kim and Emily home before him, Alex and Collin left to go home and Brady, Jason and Jake left for patrolling with Rosalie and Garrett leaving me, Sam, Leah, Paul, Quil, Jared, Jasper, Peter, Charlotte, Emmett, Maysun and Jennifer who was forced to stay back by Maysun sitting around the fire making idle chit chat as no one wanted the night to be over so soon.

"Hey guys we should play Truth or Dare" said an excited Maysun making everyone look at her

"Like that isn't cliché" snorted Quil

"Please I have heard it is fun and have never played it before" said Maysun

"Yeah even I have never played truth or dare before" said Charlotte and all the vampires nodded their heads

"If all are in I don't mind playing" said Sam and all of us nodded our heads. Quil quickly went and brought a bottle for us to spin. The rules were simple the bottle would be spun and whoever got the open ended side would have to chose truth or dare and the one who was sitting on the opposite side facing the bottle would ask the question or give the dare. There would be a punishment for not completing the dare.

"Ready?" said Sam spinning the bottle for the first round as it stopped facing Maysun and Charlotte. Maysun had to ask and Charlotte had to answer.

"Truth or dare?" asked Maysun

"Truth" said Charlotte and Maysun made the gesture of thinking hard

"Who is the sexiest person here apart from your husband?"

Everyone looked at Charlotte especially Peter who was waiting intently to hear her answer.

Charlotte shrugged "Simple eye candy. I mean Paul. I have always had a thing for Tall dark and handsome and he is the hottest one" she said drooling a bit

Peter growled loudly while Paul smirked and Leah looked murderous

"Shh sweetie" said Charlotte looking at Peter "Wolf man has nothing on you. I am still going home with you"

Peter gave her a possessive kiss before sitting back.

The bottle was spun again and this time it landed between Leah and Paul. Paul was to answer and Leah was to ask.

Leah rubbed her hands together giving an evil smile "Truth or dare"

"Dare" said Paul smugly looking overconfident

"I dare you to sniff the armpits of every boy here" said Leah making all of us laugh

"You can't be serious" shouted Paul

"Either do the dare or be a coward and take the punishment" said Leah smiling knowing that Paul would never be willing to be termed as a coward

"There is a reason why I never played truth or dare with Leah" I said laughing remembering the killer dares Leah and Paul could give.

"Fine" said Paul standing up and trying to hide his disgust

He went from person to person sniffing their armpits making disgusting faces as we all laughed at his plight. The vampires did not sweat but the wolves were sweating double to compensate.

"Done" he said finally sitting down looking relieved to have it done with

The bottle was spun again and this time it landed between Jared and Sam. Sam chose dare and Jared dared him to do 200 pushups with me sitting on his back which he comfortably completely while I shrieked with the continuous motion.

Emmett dared Jared to walk around first beach wearing heels and with makeup applied on him while on lookers on the beach looked which was another funny dare to observe.

Peter dared Maysun to sell garbage to Leah using her best salesmanship and she tried listing every advantage of garbage before Leah finally gave up as her stomach hurt from all the laughing and bought the piece of garbage.

Quil chose truth when his turn came and was asked by Charlotte 'after he had dropped a piece of food, what was the longest time he left it on the ground and then ate it?' to which he had replied ten minutes before shrugging and saying that it was still food making us all look at him in disgust and shock.

I was dared by Paul to spin around ten times and then try to walk straight which was very difficult knowing my coordination issues and I almost fell on Sam while trying to complete the dare.

Though the funniest dare of the night was when Quil told Emmett to go and knock at Old Quil's door and tell him that Emmett had lost his beloved pet rat and ask permission if he could search for it in Old Quil's backyard? Poor Old Quil almost had a heart attack seeing Emmett use nicknames to find a rat as he sweetly called for it.

Finally the bottle landed between Jasper and Peter. Peter was asking Jasper was answering

"Major finally" gloated Peter "Truth or dare"

"Dare" said Jasper raising an eyebrow

"Ah I dare you to kiss Jennifer…"

Jasper glared at him and almost got up from his seat but Peter put his hand up in a non threatening way to stop him.

"Let me finish Jasper" "I dare you to kiss Jennifer on the cheek" said Peter with a smirk

Jasper was still glaring at him and Jennifer looked embarrassed.

"Come on major give me something to work with. I cannot give you an easier dare unless you consider walking and talking a dare?"

Jasper finally relented and sighed looking at Jennifer "Are you comfortable? If not I will take the punishment"

Jennifer meekly nodded her head and Jasper laid a soft kiss on her cheek as if she was made of glass making us all girls say 'aww' and even Jennifer was blushing a bit. Peter just looked happy for his brother.

The bottle was spun again and this time landed between Leah and Paul though this time Leah was answering and Paul was asking.

"Payback time" said Paul rubbing his hands mimicking her previous action "Truth or dare"

"Dare" said Leah

"Ms. Clearwater I dare you to do a sexy belly dance for the rest of us"

"Paul you can't be serious" I said shocked

"I am. What did she say either do the dare or be a coward and take the punishment" said Paul smirking

Before anyone could say anything else Leah spoke up "I will do it"

Paul just looked smug as all of us stared at Leah as she put on the song Ojos Asi by Shakira and moved her body and belly like a diva as all of us stared at her with our mouths open. She looked mesmerizing and soon all of us were cheering for her. When she was done all of us gave her a standing ovation and I saw Paul adjust his pants to which Leah gave him a disgusted look.

We played and talked for some more time and as the night passed giving way for early morning I leaned into Sam's warmth. As I observed the others laughing and behaving like childhood friends i knew that no matter what happens ahead this night was always going to be embedded in my memory.

A/N: All the dares are taken from the internet. Don't own them. Thank you for reading.


	25. Chapter 25

Thank you GomezAddams1, Taylor9901, catgrl, brankel1 and Filipinagirl04 for your reviews.

A/N: This is my longest chapter till date but I had a lot of loose ends to tie and it is written in multiple Points of view. Hope you like it and thank you for reading.

Chapter 25-

Bella POV:-

"Wolves communicate in four ways- howls, barks, whimpers and growls" said Sam looking at the rest of us assembled in this open meadow. Today was the last training session before the big fight that was going to happen in approximately two days. According to Peter's ability of clairvoyance Maria and Joham with their army of 30 newborns was going to attack La Push two days later in the morning a few hours after sunrise. They were going to come via the route of the woods and this exact meadow was where the pack and the vampires had decided to surround them and counter attack before they could enter Forks or La Push and put any human in danger in their quest to find Jennifer and kill the wolves.

"Barking is used as a warning in case the wolf senses danger. Whimpering is used to indicate 'I give up'. Growling is also used as a warning but it is used to indicate dominance. A wolf generally growls at intruding wolves or predators and Howling is our form of communication which we use when we want to give out a message" continued Sam

For this particular meeting even we imprints and hybrids had been asked to attend as not only were they practicing fighting but even the strategies and who was going to be where was going to be decided today and Sam and Jake felt that even we imprints and hybrids should be aware of this in case we need to shout for help.

"When you hear one howl it will mean everything is good and nothing to worry. Two howls will mean that we are nearby and are coming back safe. Three howls means danger and immediate lockdown and four howls means someone new has phased for the first time. I doubt you will hear the four howl indication in the fight and in case you hear the three howls you know what to do" said Sam looking at me, waiting for an answer and I nodded my head.

He had already told me this that all of us who were going to be in Sam's house for the duration of the fight that was us girls, the three hybrids and Billy, Sarah, Charlie and Sue who had refused to be anywhere else when their children were in danger, were to keep lighters ready on us in case it was needed. Though of course there was no guarantee that we would be able to even light one in such a tense situation let alone burn a vampire, it was more for our mental satisfaction that we had something to protect us in a worst case scenario.

"Collin and Embry will be guarding the res and Alex will be standing outside the house for the entire duration in wolf form so he can communicate with us. He will not phase back unless I give him the order to do so" said Jake looking at Alex who nodded his head "And in case I am not in the condition to give orders you follow Sam's orders or Paul's who is my Beta"

"Why me but?" asked Embry surprised and even I was surprised at this decision. Embry was a reasonably good fighter and I thought that they would keep the younger ones back home but as always Sam and Jake's decision had surprised me.

"I need a person who is experienced to guard the res and you have been in a fight before. You will know what to do if a leech escapes us and enters the res. I can trust you with protecting the tribe, imprints, elders and Collin, Alex who will need guidance in a fight" said Jake and Embry nodded his head in agreement.

"Other than them three the rest of us will be in the meadow" added Sam

"The formation is like this" said Jake looking at the pack members "Sam and I in the front flanked by Paul and Jared on each of our sides followed by Quil and Jason and lastly Brady, Seth and Ben. It will be like an upside down 'V' formation as we wait for the leech army to arrive"

"And what about the vampires?" asked Paul

"We will be hiding in the trees and will jump directly on their backs when they enter the clearing taking them by surprise" said Jasper with an evil calculative glint in his eyes

"Won't they know by your scent that you are hiding in the trees?" asked Jared

Jasper shook his head "No they won't. Newborns run on baser instincts and they will go feral when they take in your scent. They won't stop to think of the other scents in the area"

"And that is why we will attack from the trees" added Peter "Major, Emmett and I will be attacking from one side, Charlotte, Garrett and Rosalie from the other side. Rosalie and Emmett are also our back up. If a vampire tries to run whichever side, towards La Push or the other they follow and kill"

"What if they want to surrender?" asked Rachel

Jasper shook his head "They won't. Maria never keeps weak soldiers in her army. These newborns are on a suicide mission and know only one thing Kill or die trying and in case you come across a vampire who wishes to surrender don't grant mercy because as cruel as it sounds you never know when he will start plotting against you. Vampires survive on revenge and vengeance and especially down in the south, that is how we live and we have all the time in the world to plot our revenge. You can say that they are brainwashed in a way and Maria is like a god to those in her army. They will most definitely avenge her downfall"

"It is nearly impossible to escape her clutches and if it wasn't for Char I would have never left" said Peter kissing Charlotte softly "She hated it there and add to that the fact that Maria was hell bent on killing her so we had no choice but to run" he said with a chuckle

"So how come you don't feel the same for her?" said Embry looking at Jasper "On the contrary you want to kill her"

"First when I was changed I was mesmerized with the power I now held. Being an Empath is not an easy power to contain and Maria had given me free reigns to do as I wished. I had started looking at myself like I was the Almighty and Maria boasted my ego" he said looking at Jennifer as if he was opening his heart to her "I tormented people and took pleasure when I felt their fear. I fed on innocents and survived on bloodshed and violence getting high on my victim's emotions. In a way I was the definition of everything evil and Maria's right hand who knew no good. Peter was my first and only friend and the only one who kept me somewhat grounded. After he and Char left I started feeling aloof in this existence and created a barrier for myself that not even Maria could break. When they came back for me and told me that life in the North was not like this and there was no fighting and revenge needed to survive I instantly left with them searching for betterment and to find out who I was as a person. For the first time I was not Major Jasper Whitlock the overachiever son of his proud and expecting parents or Maria's Major the God of war who lived for the adrenaline of killing but just Jasper who was searching for his identity and to answer your question that is why I want to Kill Maria because she created this monster and taught him everything he needed to spread evil. If it wasn't for Peter, Charlotte and later Alice who I do owe a big part of my life too, I probably would still be leading her army and preparing to come here following every order of hers like a pathetic pet. I want to end what she started and this time I will show her what a monster I am by using her tricks on her itself. She made the rules to play the game and I will defeat her in her own game using her own damn rules. I let her go alive the last time but I won't make the same mistake twice."

"You are not a monster" whispered Jennifer as we all looked at him in silence too moved by his life story. An unlikely friendship had formed between Jasper and Sam in these past few weeks and whenever they had the time to spare they spoke to the other of their life, Politics and History and after one such conversation Sam had come home and told me how different and difficult Jasper's entry into this world of Vampirism had been and even though I did not think too highly of Alice, a girl who put shopping over another person's life she had given Jasper hope when he thought he had none by showing him a new way to live. "All of us do bad things in life. You redeemed yourself when you got the opportunity and that is what is important and makes you a good person in my eyes" continued Jennifer looking into Jasper's eyes for once

"Thank you" said Jasper as they looked into each other's eyes for a few minutes baring their souls for the other to see.

"Back to earth Major, These lovesick new couples I tell you, can't keep their eyes and hands to themselves" said Peter chuckling and rolling his eyes and Charlotte hit him on the head.

"Don't judge him. You are still that bad Peter Whitlock and that too after all these years" said Charlotte

"Just admit it lady you love me and can't get enough of this body no matter how old I get" said Peter with a smirk

"That I do" said Charlotte as they passionately kissed and wrapped their arms around one another

"And that's our cue to get back to the topic" said Jasper roughly pulling Peter from the collar separating him from Charlotte as both of them instantly started pouting

"I don't know who is worse Peter Charlotte or Rosalie Emmett with their lovey- doveyness" said Garrett with mirth in his voice

"Oh I will tell you it is you and Maysun" said Peter as Maysun blushed

"And I take pride in the fact that my woman is so satisfied" added Emmett giving Peter a fist bump who mumbled a 'same here'

"We are not that bad" said Rosalie

"Yeah right" said Garrett sarcastically "That is why Jasper and I take extra long walks two times in a day"

"Is that so?" asked Rosalie with a smug expression on her face "I thought you just enjoyed one another's company a little too much if you know what I mean?"

"Really Rose?" asked Jasper raising an eyebrow

"What he started it" said Rosalie giving Garrett an annoyed look who stuck out his tongue at her in a playful manner

"So you end it" said Jasper exasperated "And stop behaving like you both are five years old. We don't need another childish argument right now"

Rosalie just rolled her eyes in reply as Emmett pulled her close to him growling lightly

"Sometimes I feel like I am a father to a bunch of kindergarteners looking at your baseless arguments" said Jasper sighing ignoring Emmett "I don't know how Carlisle or even Eleazor do this. Those three sisters are equally bad when it comes to their ridiculous fights on the stupidest things to exist"

"You chose to be the temporary leader so deal with it" said Peter nonchalantly as Jasper sighed shaking his head

In the few days that I had seen these vampires interact with one another I had observed that they too behaved like a mismatched yet happy family. Jasper was the older brother who took the important decisions thinking of everyone else. Emmett was the strong one who had a funny side and a caring side too. Peter was the joker who was almost never serious but could be if need be and Garrett was almost a mixture of all three he was serious and responsible like Jasper, was strong and could fight like Emmett and had a sense of humor like Peter but it was not for everyone to witness as he chose to speak less. Charlotte was the younger sister who everyone pampered and loved and Rosalie was the strict one who showed her love through actions and not words but was fiercely loyal to the people she loved. They were more than just a bunch of nomadic vampires who were forced to come together. They were like a normal family who loved one another yet fought at times.

"I must have hit my head hard somewhere before I took that decision" said Jasper shaking his head

"Too bad" said Garrett "You are stuck with it"

Jasper sighed loudly "I guess so"

A grin soon took over his face the next second as he said "I don't mind though. Everyone needs a bit of entertainment in their life and this is better than any daytime show" "But now we really need to get back to the topic"

"Yeah" said Sam looking amused at their antics

"So like I was saying I will be using all my empathetic abilities on the field throwing the emotion of fear and the urge to run away at them. I was thinking of the perfect cocktail of fear, nervousness, laziness, doubt and a heavy dose of the urge to pee" said Jasper with a smirk "We can't relieve ourselves and it will be hilarious to see them fall on the ground with the urgent need to use the bathroom"

"You are one wicked fucker" said Paul laughing "Thank God we are not fighting against you"

The other pack boys nodded their heads in agreement

"He wasn't just called the God of war for horseshit" said Peter with evident pride in his voice

Jasper just rolled his eyes at him "There are thirty of them excluding Maria and Joham making the total thirty two. You take sixteen we take sixteen to begin with and then help the other if need be. It will be better for you to work together with your pack mind and for us to converse in our way for us to win this"

"Are you sure you will be able to take sixteen with only six of you?" asked Jake unbelievingly with his eyes widened

"Pfft" said Peter "Jasper and I used to fight ten vampires at one go between us when we were in Maria's army. Sixteen is a cake walk and Garrett and Char can fight and even Rosalie and Emmett are decent fighters. We will manage"

"We are set from our side" said Jasper nodding his head in agreement

"Well okay then if you are so confident" said Sam looking relieved "Sixteen between us nine is not bad"

"What if they are gifted?" I asked worriedly. Jasper was gifted and so was Peter and from what I had heard there were others in the Cullen Coven who were gifted too so what were the odds that these vampires wouldn't be?

Jasper shook his head "Maria rarely goes for the gifted ones as they are hard to manage and the chance of them overpowering her are more. She is more for strength and the evil streak. She just got lucky with me and later Peter. The North has more gifted ones but even if she has a few gifted ones, newborns are flaky and easily distracted. They don't have much control over their gifts and will succumb if attacked from all sides at once"

I nodded my head slightly relieved at this information

"Jasper will kill Maria as he has stated" said Jared "But what about Joham?"

"Whoever gets their hands on him ends him" said Jasper shrugging "Maria can fight well and my sole attention will be on her to not let her escape from this. From what I have heard Joham can't fight for shit so whoever gets lucky"

"He can't" said Nahuel confirming "Huilen almost had him before he played dirty"

His expression suddenly turned to remorse and anger and Maysun and Jennifer took each of his hand in theirs silently consoling him.

"Any other questions?" asked Jake looking at the rest of us assembled and all of us shook our heads saying no.

"Okay then let's start practicing" continued Jake "First vampires then wolves"

The rest of us moved out of the way to let their practice session begin. This was the first practice session I was seeing as the pack members and especially Sam felt that it was dangerous for the imprints to be here when their instincts were so raw and their wolf was in full control of the situation. The wolf would not harm us but they still did not want to take a risk with us around.

Leah, Kim, Emily, Rachel and I sat on the picnic mat we had got with us as Jennifer and Maysun joined us in observing the vampires fight and we looked at them tussle in awe. It was almost like a blur to us with their fast movements but all the boys who were in their human form could clearly see what was happening as Sam and Jake kept giving the younger ones who had never fought a vampire, instructions on how to fight.

First up was Rosalie versus Charlotte which was won by Charlotte who had trapped Rosalie beneath her just a few seconds after they took the crouching position.

Garrett and Emmett went next and Emmett almost had him with his strength but where Garrett was lacking in strength he covered up with tactics and experience and after a few tense minutes Garrett came out as the winner.

Peter and Jasper were the last ones to go and had knowing smiles on their faces as they crouched opposite one another.

"After almost a century this day returns" said Peter

"I did not go easy then I won't go easy now" said Jasper

"Bring it on Major" said Peter smirking as in the next instant they ran towards one another using skill, experience and strategy to fight. It was going neck to neck and none of us could say who was winning and who was losing with their punches and kicks but finally Jasper came victorious when he ripped apart Peter's legs stopping the fight.

"And you lose" said Jasper grinning

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she walked towards Peter using her own venom to join his legs back "You never learn don't you"

"That is the fun of it lady" said Peter shrugging

Charlotte helped Peter get up from the ground before giving the pack the space to practice and all the boys phased into wolf form before coming out of the trees. Even after all these days I was still stunned whenever I saw Sam in his wolf form as he was just so magnificent and oozed power and confidence that I could just keep looking at him.

Their practice was different than the vampires was as they would be fighting vampires in the real fight and would be relying on their wolf instincts to do so. They tried to improve their speed and agility and concentrated on technique as every experienced wolf fought with a newbie.

Finally after what seemed like an hour they stopped practicing and went into the woods to phase back before coming out wearing cutoffs with sweat glistening their chests.

Sam came and stood by me as I observed every wolf do the same with their imprint needing their touch. Even Paul and Leah stood next to one another though they kept some distance between them being careful not to touch the other.

"So are we done here?" asked Quil wrapping an arm around Emily

Jasper nodded his head before he observed Peter go in a daze like he was somewhere completely different instead of this meadow.

"Pete you okay?" asked Jasper worriedly going to where Peter was standing

Peter snapped out of it as a scared look took over his face and he started rambling "I don't know why my knower buzzed so late but this is imperative if we want to win this. We will not be able to win without doing this and…"

"Stop rambling just tell us what did your Yoda say?" asked Jasper impatiently

Peter looked at Nahuel before speaking "Nahuel needs to become a full vampire instead of being a hybrid. This is extremely important as he will be the last key to our lock"

"I can?" asked Nahuel shocked as all of us wore a similar expression on our faces

Peter nodded his head "You are venomous right then you can be changed"

"So we can't become full vampires?" asked Maysun in a slow whisper

Peter shook his head "I doubt but most probably no" as Maysun nodded her head a bit sadly though

"So you need to change Nahuel?" said Sam hesitantly

Peter nodded his head "Yes it is necessary. My knower is not telling me why exactly but I just know that it is important and has to be done as soon as possible"

"We don't have time dammit" shouted Jasper frustrated "It takes three days Pete. We don't have three days"

"No it won't" said Peter confidently "He is already a half vampire. He will wake up by tomorrow afternoon and we have to do this major. We will have to take the risk. My Knower says it will all work out"

Jasper nodded his head and looked at Nahuel "Will you do this?"

"Of course I will if it guarantees our victory" said Nahuel instantly

"Are you okay with this?" asked Jasper looking at Jake who looked at Sam once before nodding his head giving the tribe's permission.

"We trust you and if your power says it is important we will accept it" said Jake

Jasper nodded his head before looking at Nahuel "Who do you want as your sire? It is your choice"

Nahuel hesitantly spoke "If you don't mind you?"

"Okay then let's get you back at our campground" said Jasper "The sooner we do this the better for you to adjust to this life before the battle"

Nahuel kissed his sisters on the forehead telling them that he would see them tomorrow before bidding us all goodbye and leaving with Jasper and the other vampires. Maysun consoled Jennifer telling her that Nahuel would still be the same person Vampire or hybrid as they made their way back to the res and the rest of us followed.

Sam took my hand in his as we walked to where he had parked the car and the last thing I saw before turning was Paul talking to Leah.

Leah POV:-

"Hey Clearwater" said Paul making me stop in the way

"Yeah" I said waiting for his answer a bit surprised at him talking to me. I had known him all my life but calling us friends would be a stretch. He was always our neighbor and Bella's annoying overconfident friend whose mere presence annoyed the shit out of me so we stayed away from one another unless it was to annoy the other. Well that was true until he was mystically bound to me by our spirits but that was a story for another day as it did not look like we were doing anything about it anytime soon.

"Can we talk?" he said almost nervously

I looked at him in shock. Paul Lahote and nervous that's a first.

"Okay" I stretched the word out hesitantly

"Do you want us to wait?" asked Emily from Quil's side as we had been walking towards her car.

Before I could answer Paul interrupted us rather politely "No you go ahead. You must be tired. I will drop her home"

I looked at him with my eyes widened. Was I in twilight zone? Paul was showing some manners? I had never seen the guy like this in my short eighteen years of life. Nice, Kind, Polite these synonyms just could not be used to describe Paul Lahote. Sigh! It is true there is a first time for everything.

Quil nodded his head as Emily winked at me and I showed her the finger. They soon left to go to wherever they went when they wanted to suck on each other's face with the tag of imprint bonding and Paul and I stood in the now empty meadow quite awkwardly if I say so.

"So…" I drawled out

"So?" he asked confused

"Yeah 'so' was the cue for you to start speaking" I said loudly commenting on his stupidity

"Oh yeah right sorry" he said with a nervous laugh and I almost asked him what he was smoking to be this stupid in life.

"What did you want to talk about?" I finally took mercy on him and asked

"So you know my reputation in life. I don't really date and all. I am more of a one night guy or at max a few times guy so this is all very new to me and…" he rambled

"Paul is there a point to this conversation?" I asked irritated "Because right now you are just wasting my time and trust me I have a lot to do"

He opened his mouth almost like to snap at me before he shut it again and brought a wide smile on his face which looked even weirder. My suspicion of him being on something was being confirmed by every second now.

"So like I was saying this is all new territory for me and I was talking to the others this morning and they convinced me to do this not like I did not want to do this but I just needed that push and…"

"Come to the point Paul" I said frustrated at his half-arsed attempt at talking

"What are you doing tonight?" he said in one go looking at me expectantly

"I don't know" I said confused at his question "I will just watch TV, have dinner with Mom, Dad and Hazel as they are the only people who are home these days during dinner and then after playing on my phone for some time will go to bed. Why the sudden interest in my routine?"

He hit his forehead loudly with his hand before looking at me

"Okay let's try again" he said slowly "Do you want to go out with me tonight like on a date?"

"Excuse me?" I said shocked as my eyes widened and mouth opened involuntarily

"Jeez Leah you are behaving like I asked you to marry me" he said chuckling

"Excuse me?" I asked again too shocked to say anything else. Were my ears deceiving me or was this really happening? Did he just use the word marriage in a sentence? I didn't want to marry him. Heck I don't even know him that well.

I felt like I was hyperventilating as I stood in front of him.

"Calm down Leah" he said panicking "You are giving me a bad name you know that. Girls generally don't react like Hell has frozen over when they are asked onto dates but how would I know I have never really done this before. Even my first time when I was fourteen was more like a one night thing. She was older and more experienced and…"

"You are not helping" I whispered

"Shit sorry" he said apologetically laughing "See this is what you do to me. I just lose control over my mouth when you are near"

"Sorry" I said though I had no idea for what I was apologizing

He gave out a small laugh "Let's take baby steps. I think we both need it. If you are not doing anything tonight will you go out with me?"

I stared at him for a few minutes before my brain reminded me that I was supposed to answer too as he had clearly asked me a question.

"Umm okay" I said hesitantly. Never in my wildest dream had I thought that this day would come but a part of me reminded me that I had decided to give myself a fair chance to find love.

He gave me a huge grin "Great I will pick you up at six"

I nodded my head still confused at the twist in events. This morning had started way too normally for it to end like this. We walked in silence towards his car and the short distance back to La Push was spent in silence too as I stared outside the window being alone with my thoughts.

He dropped me outside my house giving me a huge grin too unlike his usual smirk before he drove off and I removed my phone from my pocket to call the one person who I needed to talk to. Hopefully she was not having her 'imprint bonding time'.

"I think I have entered the twilight zone"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"This" said Bella picking up the outfit placed on the bed as she waved it in front of my eyes "is too simple like you are not trying at all" "and this" she said pointing at another outfit "screams too much effort like you are begging him to do something"

I looked at the second outfit. Yeah it did kind of look desperate with all the cleavage showing it had on but what was wrong with being simple and comfortable? So what if it was a t-shirt I wore at home at times. Being comfortable is what matters at the end of the day.

Before I could open my mouth to say something she gave me a glare "Don't give me that. It is your first date with your wolf your imprinter. You will remember this your entire life"

I rolled my eyes at her words "It is just a date and that too with Paul. I have been on dates before if you have forgotten"

"It is your first date with him at least and please humor me for once Leah" she said pleadingly and I sighed giving up.

"Fine but if I end up looking like a messed up Barbie it is your fault" I said giving her a warning look

She gave out a laugh "Would not dare to do so and I want today to be special for you both. It is a new beginning and it should be perfect" she whispered towards the end.

I rolled my eyes at my hopelessly optimistic sister "Stop getting melodramatic on me now but fine I will humor you for this once"

She mumbled an excited shriek before she came and hugged me deciding of what I should wear as I almost banged my head on the wall.

An hour later I sat on my dressing table wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a black halter neck top that she had retrieved from some corner of my closet with mascara and lip gloss applied and my hair had been straightened and looked glossy and nice. She had also retrieved a short red dress from the same closet but I had thrown it back at her face telling her that no way in hell was I going out wearing a dress. She had nodded her head in understanding before dumping it back in the closet. Safe to say neither of us was a dress person.

"Wow" she said looking at me in the mirror

"It is just a normal date" I said rolling my eyes "There is no guarantee there will be another"

"Tell me that after tonight" she said with a smirk

"Oh I will" I said as I grabbed my coat and made my way downstairs where no doubt Charlie would be threatening Paul who had arrived a few minutes back, with his gun. Gosh he did this embarrassing act with every date of mine or Bella without fail and sure enough there he sat cleaning his gun as Sue hid her mouth and laughed silently.

"Shall we go?" I asked looking at Paul and he awkwardly nodded his head getting up from the couch

"Bring her back by 11" said Charlie sternly as we walked outside the door towards his car.

"Sorry about him" I said as he shrugged in reply

"So where are we going?" I asked him as he started driving the car

"I was thinking of the Forks diner" he said and I nodded my head

Most of the dates in the area happened in the Forks diner for those who did not want to travel till Port Angeles. It was the easiest and most popular option available in the area and a small part of me was disappointed but I squashed it down.

He drove the short distance in comfortable silence as I thought of how different this felt. If someone would have told me a few months back that I would be going out on a date with Paul Lahote one day I would have laughed at their face before walking away and still here I was.

He parked his car outside the diner as we made our way inside and sat at an empty table.

"So Leah, tell me something about you?" he asked in all seriousness as I rolled my eyes, like we did not already know enough about the other. But if this was how we were flying then so be it.

"My name is Leah like you already know. I am 18 and a senior in high school…"

Suddenly his phone rang and he gave me an apologetic look "Sorry I have to take this"

"No problem" I said with a smile

He left the table to go outside as I stared at the menu I had memorized years back. He came back in a few minutes later "Sorry it was important"

"Like I said no problem" I said with a small smile

"So where were you?" he asked

"I was saying that I am 18 and…" suddenly his phone rang again. I sighed in frustration.

"You know what I will just switch it off" he said taking the phone in his hand

"No take it. It must be important" I said as he nodded his head giving me an apologetic look and walked out of the diner. I was trying my level best to be calm and not get angry but damn I was getting annoyed at the continuous interruptions.

This time he returned after nearly ten minutes that I had spent staring at my own phone hopelessly waiting for it to ring or something.

"All okay?" I asked

"Yeah all good" he said "Sorry about this I will just switch it off" he said switching of his phone as I gave him an awkward smile.

"So where were we?"

"Just introducing myself, nothing important really" I said snapping. I know I was being rude but I was getting irritated with his aloof behavior as if he was a completely different person outside this diner.

"Leah" he said and guess what we were interrupted again by a blonde bimbo waitress who had just decided to grace our presence.

"What can I get for you?" she asked with a bored expression on looking at me before she took a look at Paul.

"Pauly is that you?" she said in a fake sweet voice and I almost spit the water I had been drinking out.

"Lauren what a surprise, what are you doing here?" he said looking embarrassed and rubbing the back of his neck.

"I work here you know" she said waving her hand in the air "So how have you been?"

"I am fine" said Paul looking annoyed

"So like I was saying we should catch up again sometime. You know for old time sake" she said with a pout before she got her face close to his ear "You were the best I had"

I coughed loudly getting their attention back at me reminding them that I was still here.

"Umm I am kind of here with someone" said Paul pointing towards me suddenly reminded of my presence

"Well that was never a problem before" she said pushing her lips out in a ridiculous manner that did not even look attractive as she leaned into Paul who just sat there not reacting at all, accidently pushing the glass of water on me wetting my entire top.

"You know what I am out of here" I said irritated getting up from my seat wiping my wet top "And you are a terrible waitress" I shouted at the blonde bimbo with possibly fake boobs as I made my way out of the diner.

"Leah stop" shouted Paul following me

"Get lost Paul" I said as I mumbled under my breath how this had been the worst date ever and just everything had gone wrong.

"It was not my fault" he said exasperated

"We don't work out Paul. Tonight was a disaster"

He sighed heavily "Can I at least drop you home?"

"I will take a bus or something" I said angrily

"Please Leah" he said "Let me drop you home. It is kind of late and I don't want Charlie to shoot me"

I nodded my head looking at my watch "Fine"

He led me towards his car and I sat inside again in silence with only my thoughts giving me company. I knew that we would never work out and this disastrous date was a proof of it. Screw Bella for telling me to give my heart a chance.

He drove towards the res but instead of stopping outside my house as expected he parked the car outside his.

"Can you come with me inside for a minute? Mom wanted to give something for Sue and I forgot to deliver it earlier. It is really important" he said pleadingly

"Fine whatever" I said irritated of this day itself

I walked inside the house with him finding it surprisingly empty and he soon led me towards the back door.

"Paul, where are we going?" I asked him

Instead of answering he just walked ahead as I suspiciously followed. Finally he opened the back door and my mouth dropped open at the sight in front of me. The backyard was completely decorated with string white lights illuminating it and a huge table with two chairs had been set up with a candle, fancy cutlery and food already kept ready.

"Paul" I said in shock

He gave out a sudden laugh "This is the real date Leah. That was just a small little prank and oh this is for you" he said giving me a bag which when opened held a spare top of mine, the simple t-shirt I had chosen earlier to wear.

"What How?" I asked surprised

"It was kind of planned Leah. Bella sent this for you"

"She knew?" I asked shocked

He gave me a 'duh look' "Who do you think cooked all of this?"

"So fake date huh?" I asked catching up to reality

"A few girls have got to go on a fake date with me before based only on ulterior motives but you are the only one who has ever got and will ever get a real date from me. That was the last fake date I have ever taken a girl on and I had to do it in style" he said looking at me with such adoration in his eyes and I blushed at his words.

"And what did you think I would take you to the diner for a date? How cheap do you think I am?" he said with evident shock on his face

"And Lauren" I asked waiting for an answer

"Just a friend who owed me a favor" he said "She was a part of the plan and the phone calls were both from Quil before you ask and were filled with bullshit. He just rambled for ten minutes straight"

I gave out a laugh "You are mean"

"And you are funny when you try to introduce yourself again and again"

"So this is the real thing?"

"Yup" he said bringing his face closer to mine

"It is pretty" I said looking at the lighting

"You are pretty" he said making me blush

"I should change and come" I said trying to lessen the tension between us

He nodded his head "And then we should begin our real date for once. The curfew is still 11 you know" he said making me laugh. Maybe giving my heart a chance would not turn out so bad after all.

Jasper POV:-

'Thud-Thud' Thud-Thud' Thud-Thud' was the only sound I could hear in this almost empty house as I waited for Nahuel's heart to stop beating and for him to wake up in this new existence as a full vampire.

The others were out hunting to get them filled before tomorrow but I could not get myself to leave. This was no random human I had sired to be a pet for Maria. This was my mate's brother and the most important person in her life immediately making him important in my life too and this was the first hybrid- vampire turning I was observing.

'Jennifer' I said her name aloud with complete devotion as I closed my eyes. She was an angel dropped down from heaven with her innocence and purity and I was a devil in comparison. Fate had given me more than I deserved when it gave me a chance to be with her and I had promised myself that I would do nothing to mess it up. She deserved the world and I wanted to be the one to give it to her.

Our last conversation flooded into my mind. She and Maysun had come over a few hours back to check on Nahuel and whether he had woken up or not and Maysun had immediately gone to Garrett's side. For them not being mated they sure acted like they were.

"Hello" said Jennifer softly as she came to where I was standing outside the house

"Jennifer" I said giving her a nod

"When will he wake up?" she whispered

"In a few hours" I said "Don't worry. His heart is going strong. If something goes wrong I will know"

She nodded her head "Thank you"

She turned to leave but I called out her name stopping her. I didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow but there was one last conversation I needed to have with her for my own mental peace. I could never forgive myself if I did not get this off my chest.

"Yes" she said

"I need to tell you something"

She nodded her head waiting for me to continue and I took a deep unneeded breath.

"We vampires find our mates by their scent. Their scent reminds us of our home and we can never harm them intentionally or unintentionally. Finding a mate is rare and some vampires go centuries alone before they find theirs but once they do they cannot stay away as there is a constant pull to the other"

"And I am yours" she whispered interrupting me

"Yes" I said in shock "How did you…"

"I figured. I feel the pull too" she said looking at the wet grass around us

"Yes you are my mate" I said repeating my sentence

She was quiet for a few minutes "I am scared"

"Don't be" I said calmly. I could feel her fear and anxiety. "This is your decision. Whatever you want"

She nodded her head "I am terrified of vampires. My birth father he…"

"I know" I said interrupting her "But I will never let another vampire, human, shape shifter anyone ever harm you. I promise and if you are scared of me…" I said trailing off

What was I thinking? Of course she would be scared of my scars. I had so many of them and she was so innocent. Why would she want to be with a monster like me?

"Stop" she said loudly cutting my mental thought "I am not scared of you. I am just scared of this situation. I need time to adjust, to overcome my fears"

"In that case we have all the time in the world" I said giving her a smile

She reciprocated my smile as we made our way in the house.

"Jasper you okay?" said Peter returning from his hunt bringing me back to the present. He mostly always called me Major. Jasper was only for the serious situations when he knew I needed a friend.

I nodded my head

"You need to hunt" he said and I could feel his worry.

"I will with Nahuel"

'Thud-Thud' 'Thud-Thud'

This time the sound was louder and faster.

"He is waking up" said Peter excited. I had seen many people wake up after the change but this was new even for me as he was walking up only after 28 hours of being bitten.

We heard the final 'thud' before there was complete silence and we ran towards the room he had been lying in.

He looked the same as he sat up quickly on the bed, only his eyes were crimson red and he looked paler and stronger than before.

"Nahuel you remember us right" said Peter slowly. Newborns could be feral and talking to them slowly and calmly was for the best.

"We are your friends" said Peter taking a step ahead towards the confused Nahuel.

Suddenly as if a switch was clicked the only thing I could see around me was mirrors and I in them repeating every action I did. It felt like I was locked in a room surrounded by only mirrors. It was frustrating and I desperately tried to find a way out finding nothing.

"Peter, are you seeing the same?" I asked worriedly

"Fantastic isn't it" he said with awe "Nahuel pull it back"

Suddenly like a switch was shut my vision became normal and I could see the others.

"What was that?" I asked in shock

"That Major, was Nahuel's power to create an illusion of being surrounded my mirrors. The person cannot see anything else except themselves" he said with a wicked smile as I smiled back. We were so ready for tomorrow.

Bella POV:-

"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning and we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting- that came later. First we were spirit warriors" said Billy as I stared at him from across the fire leaning into Sam's side.

Tonight was a bonfire held on first beach for the elders, pack and imprints to remind us of what we stood for and what we were fighting for. Everyone was here sitting next to their imprint or wolf and for a change even Leah was leaning into Paul as he softly kissed her on the forehead. The air around us was heavy and filled with tension but it was also filled with unity and togetherness. We were in this together as a pack as a family.

"Let's go home" said Sam once Billy had finished narrating the legends.

I nodded my head as we made our way back to his house to connect with one another once again, to feel the comfort and love radiating from the other. I craved the safety I felt when I was in his arms and the passion I felt when he made love to me and the night was filled with love, tears and promises of coming back to me. Finally when I fell asleep it was to lying down on his chest taking in his warmth and heartbeat.

The next time I woke up I was alone in the bed and in the house with only a note left for me on the bedside table.

'_I will always come back to you- love Sam' _


	26. Chapter 26

Thank you Taylor9901, MammaNita4, brankel1, catgrl and tiamaria89 for your reviews.

A/N: I am extremely nervous about this chapter as I have never written in Third Person Point of View Omniscient before but I felt it was needed for this chapter so I hope you like it. Thank you for reading.

The wolf fur colors are-

Sam- Black, Jared- Dark Brown, Paul- Silver, Embry- Black with white spots, Jacob- Russet Brown, Quil- Chocolate Brown, Seth- Sandy Brown, Jason- White with black snout, Brady- Ashen, Ben- copper, Collin- light red, Alex- Grey.

Chapter 26-

A sole man walked into the clearing midway between Forks and La Push in the wee hours of the morning on a cold march day in the state of Washington. It was much before he was scheduled to meet the others but he just could not stay at home any longer for the fear of the most important person in his life waking up. The desire to take her in his arms and kiss her like there was no tomorrow was there like always but telling her goodbye face to face was scarier. That would seem more permanent than he wanted it to be and he would never be able to leave if he saw the desolate face of his fiancée as she saw him leave from the front porch. A note was safer, easier and conveyed the message his teary afraid eyes would be unable to convey that it was not a goodbye but rather an, I will come back to you soon or at least he hoped it would be.

The sun was not up yet and if it would not have been for his shape shifter genes he would have surely frozen to death in this cold windy weather but he kept going relying on the little moonlight and his higher than normal vision to guide him to the nearest tree where he could sit and relax for the next few hours. Sleep would be difficult to come with all the stressful thoughts that were revolving in his mind but at least he could close his eyes and sit in peace for a while. He had not slept a wink last night but still it had been one of the most relaxing nights of his life as he had held his imprint while she slept with a peaceful content expression on her face. He had ran a hand through her long thick hair as he thought of the blissful few months they had spent together and how many more memories they were yet to make if given the chance. He had never been the one to ponder on the future, his short unpredictable life had made sure of that but for once he wanted to relish on every happy daydream his mind could envision.

He was only nineteen, not even out of his teenage years yet and far too young to be completely responsible for another eleven, let alone an entire tribe and possibly in some parallel universe he would be attending college like a normal human and worrying about the mundane issues that seem like much more than they are but he had to live in this reality where he was the responsible one since he knew the meaning of the word responsibility. He made sure to be the mature one, the one who never faltered and the smart one who stayed away from the delinquents as that was expected of him by his grandmother. After all he had a tribe to prove wrong and the reputation at stake was high. He had the ones who said that he would turn out just like his deadbeat abusive cheater father to be proved wrong or the ones who said that he would be like his runaway mother who shied away from responsibility. He was nothing like them and he had spent his entire childhood to prove those hundreds this that he was neither like his father nor like his mother. He was his own self Sam Uley.

With brisk careful steps he made his way towards the huge pine tree on one end of the clearing making sure to scent the air for threats before sitting. It was a habit more than caution now and a way in which his wolf stayed active no matter where he was or who was around. As he sat on the cold slightly wet ground he closed his eyes to take in the calmness of his surroundings, the freezing cold ground under his bare feet not bothering him at all or the chilly wind falling on his bare torso. His body warmth made sure to keep him immune to the cold and not for the first he wondered how life would be after he left his wolf to become full human again. He believed that every human served a purpose by coming into this world and meeting the people they met and his wolf side had served his purpose by being the first to phase guiding the others when they needed his guidance. Jacob was the rightful Alpha and after this battle his wolf could retire knowing that the pack that he had originally leaded would be safe and looked after. The wolf's job was done but Sam the man had just started his life. He had a long way to go, as a chief, as a husband and possibly someday as a father and he only hoped that fate would give him this chance to survive today.

He was more realistic than optimistic though and knew that there was a risk of burning when you play with fire and the chances of all of them surviving were less plausible than he hoped for. All he could do was hope that by some miracle all of them would survive to see another day.

"Worrying about something does not change the future" said a smooth voice and he hastily opened his eyes scolding himself for not being aware of another's presence. The new being in question could understand the man's worry and reasons for it without using any special power he held after all he had passed through this centuries back too. Being the leader at this young an age was not an easy shoe to fill and being the youngest major in the Confederate army he had known this all too well. People watched you like a hawk and if anything went wrong you were the first to be blamed for not being able to handle the responsibility. He had passed through this same nerve wrecking tension twice in life before, first as a seventeen year old human and the second time as a week old vampire forced into power by a greedy sire. Taking responsibility for the life of another was never easy and he knew this all too well and now for the third time he had been pushed into this same role but this time the stakes were even higher as not only was his brothers and sisters life on stake but so was his mate's and he could not afford to do anything wrong today.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sam ignoring the man's earlier statement

Jasper shrugged "Was checking out the area for new scents. No harm in being careful"

Sam nodded his head as they sat back leaning against the tree in silence. It was still early and none of the pack or vampires was supposed to be here for another hour or two.

"It is strange you know" said Sam "I never thought the day would come when I would be being all friendly with vampires and would be sitting like this with one. Heck a year back I did not even know vampires existed"

Jasper chuckled a bit "Life is strange my friend. Always expect the unexpected"

"So where are you going to go after this?" asked Sam looking at Jasper "Back with Peter and Charlotte?"

If there was something Sam had learnt from his imprint Bella in all these months together had been to never give up before the fight is over. You never know when tides change and the battle comes to be in your favor so always keep a positive outlook in life. Yes he knew that being realistic was also important and positivity did not solve the problems for you but Bella always insisted that even if it did not solve the problem it gave you the strength to deal with it and right now he needed that strength and belief that maybe things would work out in the end. There was a solution to every problem and maybe even their problem would be solved without harming or losing anybody. It was difficult but not impossible. They just needed to believe in themselves and their strengths.

Jasper shook his head "I will go with Nahuel, Maysun and Jennifer and possibly Garrett if he decides to be with Maysun. I can't ask Jennifer to be without her family and even if I forget about the mating pull that will be a pain, I don't want to live without her now that I have found her so wherever she goes I go"

Sam nodded his head in understanding. He too would follow Bella to the ends of this world if she asked him to. Now that he had experienced living with her he could not imagine otherwise.

"What about you?" asked Jasper "Are you going to quit phasing?"

"Yes my wolf knows that his time has come to retire and I have other things to focus on" said Sam a bit sadly. Giving up the wolf was a bittersweet prospect as the wolf had given him a lot in these few months. Not only had he found his forever but he had also gained genuine friends that were to last a lifetime. Patrolling may be boring, killing vampires may be dangerous but being a shape shifter did have its perks like speed, extra senses, looks and immortality for those who wanted it and he would definitely miss roaming around with his pack brothers in these woods.

Jasper nodded his head "Hopefully life will settle down for you. The last year has been a rollercoaster ride it seems"

"Does life really ever settle down?" asked Sam with a little humor and a little seriousness

Jasper shook his head with a smile on his face "It never does. Look at me only I am over 150 years and I found my mate a few weeks back. Mortal immortal makes no difference. Life does not stop. Something or the other is always going on"

"Do you ever regret being a vampire?" asked Sam "Do you ever wish that Maria had never bitten you and let you live?"

Jasper gave out a small laugh "You have no idea how many times I have regretted it or asked myself this same question that where would I be if I would not have been pulled into this world. My best guess is that I would have fought the war, hopefully survived gone back married my betrothed had a few children and lived a normal human life probably following in the footsteps of my father. Living forever is no piece of cake Sam" he said sighing, all traces of humor gone from his voice "The immortality and extreme good looks angle fades after a few decades and then reality hits you. Go to school or college or hospital or wherever all of eternity or just roam around woods feeding and fucking. Your only friends and family is your coven then no matter you are the Cullens or the Volturi. It is a lonely existence where you can trust no one as even people you considered friends can turn against you. Now that I have Jennifer it is better but still there is no end to our life, no reason for our existence and after a point it just becomes tiresome to remain the same while the world around you keeps changing"

"You were betrothed?" asked Sam

Jasper nodded his head reminiscing about those days "Yeah we grew up together. She was my father's best friend's daughter. Coincidentally even her name was Isabella. We were to be married when I returned home"

"What happened to her?" asked Sam

"I don't know. I never went home to see after I was changed and that was probably for the best. If I would have killed her or changed her I would not have been able to live with myself"

Jasper sighed as he tried to remember his childhood and his life before joining the army but he drew a blank. He could remember vague details like names or unknown faces if he tried hard but no memory joined itself with those names or faces. It was as if it had all vanished in thin air.

Sam nodded his head "Do other vampires also come to regret it?"

Jasper shook his head chuckling "Do all shape shifters react to this world the same way"

"Actually Quil was elated, Paul was angry and Embry was just plain confused in the beginning" said Sam with a slight laugh "Seth and the other pups are possibly going to phase for a few more years with Jake as the Alpha but I know the older ones are all going to retire soon. One good thing is that we can quit when we want to"

"The same for us holds true too, not everyone reacts the same way. Maria loves being a vampire because of the power she holds. Peter and Charlotte like it too but because of one another and the fact that they live to the extreme doing every adventure impossible for humans. They jumped from the Mauna Kea in Hawaii and swam the Pacific Ocean for fun a few years back. You know they once had the crazy idea of solving the mystery behind the Bermuda triangle?"

"Did they solve it?" asked Sam wanting to know the answer

Jasper shook his head laughing "Nope never got around to doing it but they plan to do it one day" "Yeah so like I was saying Carlisle loves being immortal as it gives him the opportunity to learn and treat other humans without the fear of growing old or falling ill and Edward on the other hand loathes it. He feels that we lose our souls when changed but no one hates it as much as Rosalie. She literally detests Carlisle for changing her"

"Carlisle changed her?" asked Sam

Jasper nodded his head "He changed Edward first as he was dying of Spanish influenza, then Esme who had jumped off a cliff but also because he realized that she was his mate, then Rosalie and lastly Emmett who had been attacked by a bear and was saved by Rosalie. I won't go into details as that is Rose's story to share but she was dying when Carlisle changed her and she blames him for it. She wishes that he would have just let her die that day instead of pulling her into this world. She wanted to be a mother more than anything else and now that Carlisle brought her into this world that is not possible. Even Esme who lost a child undergoes the same trauma and so while Rose became cold and aloof Esme started spoiling Edward and Alice who were the youngest and were already spoilt, with her excessive pampering and even Carlisle let's them get away with everything as they make Esme happy. Emmett is the only good thing in Rose's life and so she is only soft when she is with him. Other than then she is like a rock which cannot be moved. From the outside she is bitter but she is a good person on the inside"

"Rosalie reminds me of Leah" said Sam widening his eyes as he thought of both the girls with similar stubbornness and determination and to an extent even anger.

Jasper nodded his head in agreement "They are a lot similar and so are Emmett and Paul. Both of them rely on their strength more than brain"

Sam laughed as he leaned back so that his head touched the tree "Maybe that is why they work as only Emmett and Paul can handle Rosalie and Leah and no one other than Rosalie and Leah would be able to bear Emmett and Paul"

Jasper nodded his head "True your spirits know what they are doing and so does whoever makes us bound to the one for us"

Sam nodded his head as they both sat in silence left alone with their own thoughts looking at the cloudy sky above them. The sun was just rising and everyone would be very soon arriving in this clearing having left the imprints, hybrids and elders at Sam's house where they would be safe and guarded. It looked like any normal day in March but for a few in this small little town in the Olympic Peninsula today was anything but normal. No one knew what the outcome would be a few hours from now but everyone hoped that their prayers would be answered.

"You want to go for one last run together before the fight? We still have time before the others are here" said Jasper standing up from where he had been sitting and looking at Sam.

Sam nodded his head shrugging as he made his way towards the trees to phase and soon came out in the form of his midnight black wolf. Though his wolf was no longer the Alpha wolf he commanded his own respect due to his seniority and one look at him would make any lesser wolf shiver in fear.

The blonde vampire crouched down to the stance of running and soon they both were flying through air trotting through the woods at a speed invisible to the human eye. While one laughed to his fullest the other barked a happy contended bark. It was a sight out of a children's book as the two former mortal enemies ran together in an action that was exhilarating for both of their species as for vampires and shape shifters alike running was enjoyable and satisfying. No one could have predicted that such a day would arrive when the ones who were created to destroy the other would be fighting on the same side of the border and behaving like old friends but that was life, unexpected and surprising.

It was a playful competition as the blonde vampire teased the shape shifter by picking up speed and running ahead and the shape shifter too sprinted to catch up and to finally win this game the blonde vampire had started. It was a relief, a break from the tension that surrounded them attempting to break their walls and these few minutes of complete happiness was a blessing in disguise they both had needed.

After running through the woods at their highest neither ready to give up they both stopped at a pine tree miles away from where they had started. The vampire gave the shape shifter a minute to catch up before he sprinted through the woods again back to the clearing where reality waited for them. A few seconds later the shape shifter too followed catching up with the vampire not ready to lose in this challenge the vampire had laid upon him. They reached the clearing at the same time as they stood in their places on hearing the noises, scents and thoughts that signaled that the others of their army were now arriving. The time for fun and games was over and the time for reality had arrived.

A formidable army, an impressive brood was the first to exit the luscious thick bushes led by a massive russet brown colored wolf. His form and stature screamed authority and only one with a death wish would go against him. He was flanked by a silver wolf that was emitting a low dangerous growl and a dark brown wolf that looked calm but was lethal with the experience he held under his belt. A chocolate brown wolf and a white one with a black snout were slightly behind them. Though the chocolate brown one still had some experience the white one with a black snout was relatively still a newcomer but he was no inexperienced pup. He could still hold after himself though maybe not as good as the ones who ranked above him. The three pups were slightly behind them. They were the youngest in age and in rank being just thirteen and fourteen year olds and were protected by the others, though even they were prepared for whatever came in front of them as they maybe pups but they were not going to run when the going got tough.

The pack of eight walked out of the trees and stood in a straight line opposite the black wolf who was sitting on his paws comfortably waiting for the others to arrive. When they had assembled at his house early in the morning and had not seen him there they had guessed that this was where he would be but the blonde vampire's presence was a surprise for them too.

The six vampires followed and stood beside their leader on the other side of the pack, the day old newborn with them surprisingly calm and in no bloodlust. Like his sire even he had decided to take the animal diet and though his eyes were red he was in control of himself and his gift.

"The girls are safe?" asked the black wolf through their shared mind link to which the chocolate brown one showed him a memory of him dropping his imprint Emily at the house where the others waited for her to arrive.

Sam winced when he took in the appearance of Bella who was smiling talking to Rachel but her eyes were sad and lost and she kept looking towards the door in anticipation. He wanted nothing more than to go back to her but not before he killed the bloodsuckers that were coming to destroy his house and his tribe. For now the fact that he knew she was safe was enough.

"We will win this" said the Russet brown wolf with determination in his voice. He was a born leader some would say and had been the decision maker for his group of three since kindergarten. Quil was the jokester who created more problems than solved and Embry was the shy one who was happy being in the background. He was always the voice between them three and maybe it had always been the Alpha gene that made him naturally the leader. He was confident and optimistic with a sunny grin permanently etched on his face and the words his father had told him before he left the house this morning rang through his head on repeat 'Trust the wolf instincts. The Alpha is the strongest wolf of the pack and he will know what to do. Go make your ancestors proud'

"Embry all okay?" he asked through the mind link to the black wolf with white spots

"Yup all calm" came the reply in return as a picture of the trees blurring by entered the pack mind.

"Alex?" asked the Alpha to the wolf who had stayed outside the house to protect the imprints and hybrids.

"All good Jake" said Alex showing the others the exterior of the house and the nearby trees

"What is Leah doing outside?" screamed a voice with a growl in the pack mind as Alex's vision fell on Leah who had been sitting on the porch reading a book completely ignorant of what was going on in the pack mind.

"Does she have a death wish? Why does she never listen to me? I am telling you she will be the death of me" said the silver wolf as he shook in anger. The silver wolf had never been one for feelings or emotions. He was a former Casanova with anger problems and had tried his level best to ignore the new feelings that were making their way in his heart when he was first attracted to Leah. He tried everything to stay away from her but finally gave up when he realized that no matter what he did he still loved Leah Clearwater, not like he had told her this yet. She was stubborn with a temperament that rivaled his, she annoyed him to no extent at times but still she was the one who owned his heart, she was his and he would be damned if he let her go so soon after finding her.

The dark brown wolf standing next to him snorted as his thoughts went to Kim, his imprint. He and Kim were the shy couple who was rarely ever in the limelight and that was how they liked it. Kim was everything he could ask for and he had been a fool before he phased to not have noticed her. He could not even imagine living without her now and they had already decided to go to college together after all this mess ended.

"Paul calm down" said Jake in a stern voice "Alex growl at her or something. Just send her inside"

Alex gave out a low growl which all the members of the wolf pack saw in their minds and when Leah looked at him he lifted his paw to point towards the house. Leah sighed before rolling her eyes and walked inside the house. Though it had just been two days since Paul and Leah had accepted their imprinting, she very well knew her possessive angry wolf.

The sandy brown wolf who stood in one corner thought about his sister as he saw her enter the house through the pack mind. He had never seen her so relaxed and happy before she had come home from her date with Paul and though Paul was an asshole he was still good for Leah. She had been burnt once but she would never be burned again. His thoughts fell on his imprint Claire who was the only one not in town as of now as she and Jason's parents had left to go a relative's house two days back. He had spoken to her last night and had assured himself that she was fine and safe.

"They are coming" said Peter bringing everyone's attention back to the clearing in front of them. A rotten scent wafted through the air and the sound of footsteps was all they could hear.

The black wolf with slow dangerous steps walked towards the rest of his pack as they took their attacking positions ready to pounce on their enemy.

The Seven vampires climbed into the trees minutes before thirty vampires broke into the clearing snarling and growling led by a short Mexican vampire with an evil smirk on her face and a male vampire with dark black hair and crimson eyes.

One word rang though through the pack mind before everything went chaotic.

"Attack"


	27. Chapter 27

Thank you so much GomezAddams1, sarae32, Taylor9901, catgrl and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you like this chapter. I don't know how the pack mind exactly works but my interpretation is that when they are facing vampires they are overruled by instincts and though they can still see everything what the other is seeing the ones fighting in the clearing tune out of it so as to not have any disruptions.

The wolf fur colors are-

Sam- Black, Jared- Dark Brown, Paul- Silver, Embry- Black with white spots, Jacob- Russet Brown, Quil- Chocolate Brown, Seth- Sandy Brown, Jason- White with black snout, Brady- Ashen, Ben- copper, Collin- light red, Alex- Grey.

Chapter 27-

One word rang though through the pack mind before everything went chaotic.

"Attack"

It was a state of complete disarray as bodies flew towards one another faster than the wind, ripping and tearing at whatever they got grip of. Their instincts were on high and the need to 'kill' was the only thought revolving through their minds on repeat. It had just been a few seconds into this chaos when the 7 vampires perched high on the trees had jumped directly on the backs of the clueless vampires standing beneath them Peter and Garrett managing to wrap their arms around them in one go swiftly pulling their heads apart without their opponent realizing much of it. Rosalie quickly started a fire in one corner of the clearing and soon the first two vampires out of the group of 32 were purple smoke contaminating the air.

The sounds of growling, snarling, grunting and screeching were all around when Charlotte came face to face with a hulk like vampire. He was massive and stood opposite her with an evil smirk widely spread across his face. It was obvious his power was strength and just by looking at him Charlotte knew that only one out of here was going to leave alive. She was no newborn, she had been a vampire for almost a century and her experience and name preceded her after all she had started her journey as a vampire right on the opposite side of the picture as a pawn in Maria's malignance. Charlotte had never had a very good life as a human or as a vampire in the very beginning. Her mother had died during childbirth when she was barely a toddler leaving her, her older sister and younger sister on their own. Her father had been quick to remarry and every fairytale of the evil stepmother had come to life in her case. Much of her childhood had been spent tending to the ranch where she grew up in McMullen Texas and looking after her younger sister and four other half siblings apart from doing the chores her stepmother assigned her. Her older sister had eloped with a cowboy that worked at their ranch when she was sixteen and her at the tender age of thirteen, had been forced to bear all the responsibility that now fell on her shoulders though she had complied with hardly anything more than a sigh. She had completely devoted herself to looking after her younger sister Ella having no other true family except her with the hope in mind that one day her Prince would arrive to take her with him to his castle but alas he had never arrived.

She had been eighteen when Jasper had caught her unaware one night on one of his scouting trips and a sudden bite had drastically changed her life. She had woken up three days later looking straight into Peter's crimson eyes when she opened her eyes. Peter a decade old vampire had been assigned to look after the newborns that Jasper sired and he had instantly known that Charlotte was his mate. The pull had been instant from both sides and within minutes of waking up Peter had Charlotte in his arms though there was another immediate problem. Maria did not allow mates in her army and they would have been dismembered without a thought if this news spread. They had hidden their relationship for almost a year from everyone before Maria ordered Jasper to kill Charlotte and having no other alternative Peter fled with Charlotte on the first opportunity provided. Peter was everything Charlotte could have hoped for and more. His humor and easy going nature calmed the nervous and afraid Charlotte and his confidence in her gave her the wings to fly. He was her saver the gift destiny had provided her with. He was no prince in reality but he was her prince who had rescued her and today as she faced this vampire growling at her she thought of Peter and the blissful life they lived which she had only dreamt of growing up. She was no fighter but she was no novice too and with an easy fight using the bundle of experience she held she pinned him beneath her, using her teeth to rip his neck apart from the body and in two easy steps that hulk of a vampire joined the pyre that had been made for him and his friends. Her last thought as she looked at his burning corpse was that she was no quitter and with that in mind she ran towards her next target.

The white wolf with a black snout had always been a loner in his short seventeen years of life though by choice and not helplessness. He had grown up in Vancouver Canada with his small little family consisting of his parents and younger sister Claire, a perfect little family bound together by love and happiness. He had had a few friends too who he considered close but the niggling doubt that he never truly belonged was always in the back of his mind. He had not known why he felt so out of place in the land he had been born in and had lived for seventeen years, before his life was overturned by the passing of a nomadic vampire and he sprouted fur and fell on four legs sending his entire life haywire and putting everything he had known about himself in question. Who was he? What was he? Overnight he had been ordered to move back to a place he had never dreamt of living in or even visiting for that matter and at the age of seventeen not even out of school yet his life had completely changed. His parents had too relocated to stay near him and Jason Wilde had officially entered the world of vampires, shape shifters and the big I. Imprinting, he was not a fan of it especially after his sister had been imprinted on. He had been livid when he first found out. He was new to this world and so was Claire and like any other overprotective brother he had cautiously watched Seth's every move like a hawk even after Sam and Jake had assured him that Seth felt nothing other than brotherly feelings for Claire. He had been worried that Claire would get no choice and would be forced to accept a life she wanted to be no part of but Seth had given him his word that if Claire after growing up just saw him like a brother and nothing more he will back off and let her be with whomsoever she wanted and very slowly he had come to approve of Seth imprinting on her at least she would be safe and Seth would be completely devoted to her. As the days passed and the outsider that he considered himself to be spent time with the pack, for the first time in his life he felt like he belonged somewhere. This land was his and this pack family was his family. Not only did his wolf feel the familial bond with the other members of the pack but the human too loved spending time with them. For once he did not feel like the outsider. This was his home and Sam was his older brother with Bella being the older sister. Jake, Embry, Quil, Jared and even Paul were his friends and so were Rachel, Emily, Kim and Leah and the pups Seth, Collin, Brady, Alex and Ben were his younger brothers who he loved to tease and annoy. He had come here with only his small family of three but now he could not imagine going back to that life of his.

And as he and Seth fought against a vampire with dreadlocks he knew that he and his wolf would do anything to keep their land and their family safe. They had almost managed to mangle their enemy and Seth was about to bite its head off and throw the pieces at Rosalie who was standing by the pyre ready to burn them when in his peripheral vision Jason saw something that made him stop in his tracks and make his wolf howl in terror. A short female vampire with dark brown hair and deep red eyes was looking directly at Seth with an evil glare on her face before a round ball with thorns attached to it and burning fire ravaging it emerged out of her palm. Jason watched in dread how the ball fell to the ground and started rolling towards Seth and the vampire smiled in satisfaction on seeing her power do the harm she had planned for. Seth was unaware of the danger slowly approaching him as his eyes were still on the vampire beneath him who was squirming and trying to crush Seth in return. The pack mind was a mess as everyone's instinct to destroy was overruling their actions and he knew that even warning Seth at this point of time would be futile as he was in no condition to listen to rational thought. The only thing in his mind was 'kill'. Whatever was to happen now he had to do it himself, Seth was family and hopefully he would actually be Jason's family one day and with that thought in mind Jason harshly grabbed the squirming vampire from underneath Seth using his entire strength, pushing Seth firmly away and leaped in front of the burning ball of fire that was a few seconds away from reaching them, with a smile on his wolfy face and the wish for his brothers to win this he closed his eyes forever.

Rage, pure unadulterated fury flowed through the pack mind seeing the fire lit in the middle of the clearing, the purple venom stopping it from spreading. Seth had been the first to notice that Jason had leaped into the fire approaching 'him' saving his life and his terrified howl had alerted everyone to stop and take notice and a loud howl in unison had pierced through the air at the realization that one of their own was no longer in this world. The realization that their pack brother's thoughts were silent had resulted in a fury no one had seen before and the other 8 had seethed their eyes and growled a threatening growl seeking vengeance. The time to mourn would come by later but the pack swore on revenge. The vampire who had dared to kill one of theirs was going to pay and an easy death was certainly not on the cards.

The silver wolf was the first one to lose his composure. If there was something Paul Lahote swore by it was loyalty. You could call him a million offensive things but the one thing he was not was disloyal. The people he loved cared for or considered family ranked high in his list of loyalty and going against them meant going against him. No one went against his family and whoever dared to go faced the brunt of his anger. He lost all control of himself giving into the animal as he roared his head high and ran towards any vampire he could see mercilessly ripping them apart and biting onto their parts harshly. He did not care if he looked inhuman or animalistic at this moment as that was exactly what he was an animal whose pack was his family and a scorned wolf never let another go unharmed. No rational thought crossed his mind as he kept attacking one vampire after the other not even bothering to see their faces. The blows on his stomach or the attempt to crush his ribs did not matter, nothing mattered but revenge and he knew that his pack brothers had the same thought when Sam and Jacob joined him, successfully ripping apart an entire vampire by themselves each. The actual war had just begun.

Nahuel was a newborn vampire and in strength could easily be said to be stronger than his opponent who he knew was centuries old. All his life he had been considered the weak link being a half vampire himself and had relied on his aunt for protection but not anymore. Now he was as good as his opponent or if he could say even slightly better and as he circled the vampire standing in front of him he could see the terror in his shining red eyes, the terror of death. His opponent knew what was coming and the sadistic side within him rejoiced at this knowledge. 'Good, He should know what his doom holds' said Nahuel with a sadistic smile.

"Nahuel I am your father" pleaded the vampire begging for mercy

Pleading, an action Nahuel had never seen the man standing in front of him perform. He was too proud for it to beg anyone for anything and most of the times he just took it by force but today this same man were begging in front of him for his life to be forsaken but mercy never came easy.

"Nu uh" said Nahuel shaking his head nonchalantly "You are not my father. You are just a sick scientist obsessed with experimenting and I am just one of your creations, nothing more than that and a machine does not get attached to its owner and for you that was what we were just machines brought into this world to fulfill a purpose"

"We can go back and try solving our differences" said Joham in a scared voice. The only thing he was afraid of in life was ironically death. It terrified him and so when Maria had given him this golden opportunity of becoming immortal he had grabbed it with both hands. He had never thought that his end would come after all he was indestructible and fate could not be so unfair to end him like this through the hands of his own son his own creation. He was Nahuel's creator, his God how could Nahuel be the one to end him. Joham was a proud evil man who believed in the theory that with a little use of brain a person could easily manage to avoid any bad circumstances that were coming to attack him and his son was an emotional fool who could easily be manipulated. "Son" he said in a sickly sweet voice trying to sound as genuine as he could master "We are family. It does not have to end this way. We can go home and forget all of this. I will beg for your forgiveness if you want. I want to repent for my mistakes and live with my children now. Don't take this away from me. I will try to be the best father for you from now onwards" His face held a small smile as he was sure that Nahuel being the idiot he was would fall in his trap.

Nahuel just looked at his supposed father for a few minutes in silence. How much more could a man fall? He could clearly see through his deception and he knew it was all an act, an act that he had played a hundred times before, the act of an innocent man but he knew the real Joham and that man deserved no mercy. Who said a war could not be personal?

"You are the scum of this world Joham and I will gladly take pride in the fact that your death is through my hands. You reap what you sow and Karma always comes back for people like you. This one is for my mother and all those innocent women you killed for your own gain" said Nahuel remembering the few stories Huilen had told him of his biological mother who had been a pawn in Joham's evil plot.

"But son" said a shocked Joham. Why was his idea not working? It had always worked before. No this was not how this was supposed to end. He could not fight as he had never bothered to learn. What was the use when you could easily win by manipulation and now when he looked around he knew that he was on his own here. No one was going to come to help him now.

"You never played fair Joham and neither will I" said Nahuel shaking his head in remorse before he released his power and Joham could only see mirrors around him blinding his vision. He squirmed at his place uselessly moving his hands through air trying to hit Nahuel but it was in vain. His voice shook as he begged for mercy and begged for his life just like those hundreds of victims of his who had got neither.

"Goodbye Joham" said Nahuel as he lit his father on fire taking revenge for every pain inflicted on his mother, every blow inflicted on Huilen and every torture he and his sisters went through for all these years. A torturous saga that had lasted a century had ended today.

Garrett Williams was no stranger to the world of fighting. He had fought the American Revolution back in the day being a true hot headed patriot who believed in the American dream. During the war he had been accidently changed by a nomadic vampire feeding on soldiers who was filled by the time he reached Garrett and had unknowingly not drained him enough. He had woken three days later having no idea of what he was and having never met his sire. He had travelled through places following his instincts and finally on meeting Carlisle Cullen a few years later he had found out the inner workings of being a vampire. Carlisle who was himself a nomad at the time having just left the Volturi had asked Garrett to join him but Garrett had refused. He was no monster but he could not survive on animal blood alone. He chose to feed on criminals and the mentally ill instead and with this difference in opinion the two men had parted ways promising to keep in contact as in this world friendship was rare.

He had lived for almost a century alone travelling and meeting new vampires like the Amazonian coven or Charles and Makenna but his will to fight had never disappeared. He stayed away from the Volturi as he did not believe in their rule and he also made sure never to wander south to stay away from the warlords and especially Maria. Instead he chose to fight other vampires who tortured innocents in the name of food or exposed themselves to the public. He had fought the real werewolves and anyone supernatural who was ready for a good fight. Fighting an honest fight was an adrenalin rush for him and Peter and he had had many sparring matches once he found Peter and Charlotte a few decades back. His life was well as good as it could be considering he was alone and immortal but the only thing missing was a mate. He had no desire to be a part of a coven to pass time till she arrived and so he had traipsed alone this world for more than two centuries looking for the one but he had never found her. When Jasper who he had known through Peter had called him up telling him about this war about to occur his first thought had been to say yes. He loved a good fight and so he had packed the few meager belongings he owned and had come all the way from Russia, where he had been temporarily staying to Forks Washington. One thing he had not anticipated though was finding Maysun. Oh how he wished that they would be mates but he was not that lucky. She was everything he could have wanted and more and he consoled himself saying that vampires could go thousands of years without finding their mate, Stefan and Vladmir of the Romanian coven were an example of this. Everything would be okay and he and Maysun could be happy. He had given up on finding his mate a few decades back and maybe it was because he was always to find Maysun here like this. For once his life was complete and he had everything he could ask for. He was going to go back giving up his nomadic lifestyle once and for all buying a house and everything Maysun desired. He now had Maysun in his life and also…

As he stood opposite a blonde female vampire twirling her hair around waiting for him to attack his thoughts drifted towards last night and the conversation he had with Maysun, his Maysun.

"Garrett I need to tell you something" she said with fear in her voice

Garrett was alarmed. He had never seen Maysun like this "May, is everything alright?"

She shook her head in a nervous manner "I don't know how this happened. I mean I knew it was a possibility but I never thought I mean…"

Garrett took her trembling hand in his "Just tell me May. You know I can handle anything"

"I am pregnant" she said with quivering lips

"Mine?" whispered Garrett too shocked to react. He had not even known that vampires could procreate in the first place and now he was going to be a father.

Maysun nodded her head and said in a sad whisper "I know it is sudden and we have just known one another for a few weeks. I understand if you don't want this…"

He covered her mouth to silence her as his own mouth emitted a laugh "May, I could not be happier. I love you and our child" he had used his second hand to touch her flat belly. He rejoiced as he kept repeating 'I am going to be a father' hugging and kissing every inch of her.

And as he looked at the blonde vampire now in a crouching position he knew that losing today was not an option. This was the most important fight of his life and he just could not lose today. 'This is for my child' he said closing his eyes before he opened them, a dark black and pounced on the vampire who was no match for him successfully ripping her apart in a few minutes. As they said Good things come to those who wait.

Helplessness, helplessness was not something Embry Call had felt very often in his life. Sure he had been helpless when he had been forced to stay away from his friends when he first phased or when he could not tell his mother the truth even when she blamed him for being on drugs but such gut wrenching helplessness which made his wolf fall to the ground and whine in pain he had never felt before but again he was helpless. He could see through his brothers eyes the scene going on at the clearing just a few miles away from him but he was helpless as he was under orders by his alpha to run the perimeters of the reservation. He had been told to guard the reservation no matter what and though he now knew by the finding of no new scents that the reservation was safe he was still bound to run the same circle. How he wished he could go help his brothers and allies but he was helpless beyond choice. He had seen Jason fall into the fire through Seth's eyes and he too had howled in pain for a lost brother. He had seen Paul go ballistic and start ripping apart vampires and he had seen Sam fight with two vampires at the same time almost getting bitten in the process only to be saved by some quick thinking.

"Embry" said Collin who had been running on the opposite side of the border, through their pack mind. His voice was sad and frightened.

"It will be okay kid" said Embry as reassuringly as he could as he kept running. He could see multiple fights going on at the same time through the pack mind. The pack was fighting on one side of the clearing Jake, Sam and Paul were fighting solo and Quil, Jared and Seth had teamed up with Ben and Brady to fight the vampires that came across them. The sounds of growling and grunting were heard and so was the pulling of limbs with kicks and punches. The pack made sure though not to go for the obvious kill or let a newborn get their arms wrapped around them.

On the other side of the clearing Jasper was fighting against a vampire he assumed to be Maria. Peter and Charlotte had teamed up and so had Emmett and Rosalie and Garrett and Nahuel. Out of a total of thirty two he assumed now only sixteen remained on the Newborn army side. Half the war was over but still half remained.

"Alex" asked Embry through the pack mind "All okay?"

Alex nodded his head showing Embry and Collin a picture of the calm house that held the imprints. He was forced to stay outside the house for the entire duration of the battle no matter what happened at the clearing. Just like Embry and Quil he too was a silent spectator in this world of turmoil and he too was helpless.

Bree Tanner had always been a freak of nature. She had grown up in a foster home in Bismarck, North Dakota after her biological parents died in a car accident and as the years passed her weirdness increased. One day it was the TV not starting when she was around and the other day it was a fire starting when she touched the Microwave. She did not understand what happened and why but the only thing she knew was she was a freak. As her age increased so did these abnormalities and it took too much out of her to keep it hidden. Her foster parents just didn't understand why their electronics and appliances got spoilt so often or had several short circuits and even wearing gloves did not stop those fires from magically appearing. After a many lucky escapes Bree decided to take her life in her own hands and ran away from home at the tender age of fifteen. She travelled south for a few days before stopping in El Paso for a while where she met Diego in a café on one Friday night. Diego was the most beautiful man Bree had ever laid eyes on and with a little flirting on Diego's part Bree got ready to leave with him leaving the safety of the crowded café. The fact that he was extremely pale and had red eyes just didn't register in the enamored Bree's mind. An opportunity soon presented itself to Diego when they walked through a narrow dark alley and Diego pushed Bree to the wall wrapping his arms on both sides of her. Bree blushed and closed her eyes waiting for the kiss that she knew was coming but instead it was the bite in her neck that made her eyes widen and open her mouth letting out a terrified scream. Her hands soon fell numb to her side as the venom in her body spread and Diego easily lifted an almost unconscious Bree and took her back to Maria's camp where she would be trained to fight. Bree was an exceptional newborn and she had known this since the time she woke up. She had the speed, stealth and beauty alright but it was her power, her ability that made her exceptional and Maria proud. She had the ability to create balls coated with thorns and lit with fire and could get them to emerge out of her palm easily burning anyone who stood in front of her. When Maria had found out about this she had gushed over Bree like a proud mother and for once Bree had found acceptance in the world. Diego was Maria's right hand man and the one who did all her dirty work. He had told Bree of Maria's plan to capture the world and to become the leader of the entire vampire race. She had promised Diego his place in her new empire and the only thing now needed was a half vampire half shape shifter hybrid. When Bree had heard of this in amazement she had instantly agreed to fight for Maria who now treated her like a daughter. She wanted the approval she needed the approval. She had started to practice in the open grounds of Maria's territory with the twenty nine other vampires that Diego and Maria had collected.

The only hindrance was her gift. When it worked it created havoc but it did not always work. She needed a lot of concentration and mental strength to push out that ball from her palm and being a month old vampire she hardly had any of it but still she wanted to make her mother as she now referred to Maria proud. She practiced day and night burning a few innocent humans in the process but like her mother said it did not matter, they were means to a goal and finally when the day to leave and travel north came she left with her mother and her army. She was expecting the shape shifters as they had been warned in advance of but the vampires were what took her by surprise. She managed to avoid a few vampires and shape shifters alike finding her target in a wolf with sandy brown fur crouching over her friend Laurent. She closed her eyes using all the power within her and for once her mind complied. She gave out an evil smirk when she felt the ball rolling out. But her plans hit a roadblock when a white wolf with a black snout jumped in front of the fire taking Laurent with him. She smiled though it did not matter the damage she wanted to create was done and Laurent was never that good a friend.

She tried to concentrate again on creating a ball of fire in her mind but she was unsuccessful and suddenly out of nowhere a vampire from their enemy side jumped in front of her. She was confident on her fighting abilities but one look into said vampire's eyes and every thought within her just disappeared. She smelled the air to take in his scent and the only thing revolving in her mind was 'Mate' as she looked at his beautiful features. Perfect he was perfect. Her eyes widened in shock when she caught hold of what was happening. 'Mother would be so disappointed' she chided herself. There was nothing Maria hated more than mates and Bree could not disappoint her but one look into her mate's eyes and everything was forgotten. She wanted this man no she needed this man.

Nahuel too was surprised at the circumstances that had just occurred. Mate this small thin vampire was his mate? He wanted to refuse the claim but his instincts recognized her and refused to let her go now that he had found her. He wanted to protect her, wanted to love her, wanted to take her in his arms and never let her go but for now he just wanted to know her name. Nothing mattered except her. It did not matter if she was on the enemy side. Jasper had told them that most of Maria's soldiers are brainwashed. Maybe she was brainwashed, yes she was innocent. She hardly looked any older than fifteen.

"Nahuel" said Nahuel introducing himself

"Bree" repeated Bree having her first conversation with her mate

"My sister" said Nahuel trying to convey to Bree that Maria had come to attack his family, his sister. He could not kill his mate and he would not let anyone else kill her but he was fighting for his family today.

Bree nodded her head connecting the dots in her mind that Nahuel was her mother's partner Joham's hybrid son. She could not harm her mate and by association his family. Maria maybe her mother but if she had to choose she would choose her mate always without a doubt.

"One chance" she pleaded knowing very well that she did not deserve it. She had killed far too many innocents and had just killed one of Nahuel's own friends probably but she would just do anything for his forgiveness.

Not bothering where he was or what was happening around Nahuel took Bree in his arms kissing her forehead lightly. They both needed the contact to know that it was real.

"I will always give you another chance Bree" said Nahuel as Bree smiled a genuine smile and willed her power to create a fireball which actually worked this time and she rolled it down her palm throwing it towards her own army this time around.

She could not get back the wolf the shape shifters had lost but as redemption she could help in killing their enemy and now even her enemy. She looked at Nahuel and in silent conversation they both knew what they were supposed to do. Combining both their powers, as a team they ran through the clearing Nahuel blinding them and Bree instantly lighting them up on fire. The journey was long and hard but she had faith in herself that she could get back to who she was.

A few miles away in Sam's house sat a group of people all filled with trepidation and nervousness. The air around was tense and no one knew what to say to reduce it. In reality there were no words that could be said. Charlie and Billy sat side by side watching a game on the TV to pass time though neither of them could even tell the score. Sarah and Sue chattered aimlessly though every few minutes one of them would go silent and get lost in thought after all both their sons were on the field today. Rachel was making Jennifer and Maysun study but it was a lost cause as nothing was registering in their mind and Emily, Kim and Leah were baking a ton of food for when their wolves returned. The only person staring outside the window was Bella. She could not get herself around to do anything else. She kept staring at Alex sitting on his paws outside the house guarding it, waiting for him to give away something, tell her that 'they' were coming back and were all safe but neither he moved nor she moved. Charlie and later Leah had tried to move her away from the window trying to get her busy in something else, anything else but after finishing the work given she had gone back to staring outside. She did not know how much longer she would be waiting here but she could wait an eternity for Sam to come back safe to her.

Rosalie Hale, Rosalie Cullen or Rosalie McCarty the name changed but the person within her remained the same bitter and cold. A snobbish bitch was the persona she created for everyone around as she knew the real her was too vulnerable for the others to see. It was better like this she had convinced herself and never got close to anyone other than Emmett. Emmett was her life and was the sun that came out after every abandoned dark night. Emmett never judged her or asked for an explanation as to why she was this rude and aloof with her own family members. He knew everything and loved her like no other. He always said that the love he held for her had no bounds and repeatedly he had shown this to her. Well if that was not enough he was fighting this war for her.

Rosalie was no fighter she knew this but she was determined to win and as she crouched and pounced at the red haired in front of her she knew that the fight would be tough. Hair was pulled harshly, nails were used and so were kicks and punches. The motto was simple anything to win this. Rosalie tried, tried very hard but when she lay beneath the red hair female she knew her end was here. The red haired vampire with her eyes shining in menace coated her fingernails with venom permanently scarring Rosalie with three wide line one side down her face from the forehead to the neck. Rosalie screamed in pain as the venom burned her skin and the evil vampire still holding control over her ripped apart her arm throwing it away from her. She was about to lay the final bite and pull out her head when out of nowhere a body flew at her and in seconds taking her by surprise dismembered her and threw her to the flames.

"Rose you okay?" said Emmett grabbing her thrown arm and using his own venom to fix it back. He attached the arm before fixing it again and taking Rosalie in his arms protectively and lovingly. Rosalie touched the side of her face where the scars now remained and though they were healed she knew that they were permanently embedded on her skin. She had never been pretty on the inside but she had convinced herself that she was at least pretty on the outside but even that was now taken away from her.

"I am not beautiful anymore" she said in a no emotion involved monotone. Would Emmett leave her now that she was nothing exceptional?

Emmett wrapped both his arms around her for a second forgetting where they were "Your scars only make you prettier baby. They are the sign of a warrior and show the strength you possess and you are my strong warrior aren't you?"

Rosalie would have cried if she could but for now she let Emmett take her in his arms as she nodded her head. Emmett loved her for who she was and not for the physical beauty that people said she possessed. He was her monkey man for now and forever.

In one far corner of the clearing the main fight was just about to begin. Since the first day Jasper had found out about this evil plot Maria had woven he had been waiting desperately for this moment and now as he stood in front of his sire he knew that the moment he had waited his entire life for had arrived, the moment of his victory and Maria's defeat. Finally he was about to make Maria pay for every sin she had committed and he knew that moments like this did not come again. Either today she was losing her head or he was as one of them would not be leaving this clearing alive.

"Major" crooned Maria excitedly "My major is here now"

"Don't look so happy Maria" said Jasper "I am here to end you only"

Maria waved her hand in the air as if saying whatever "You need guts for that which the world knows you don't have Mr. Animal drinker. At least you were a man when you lived with me and now look at you…" she said with disgust in her voice

A wave of anger surged through Jasper and he let out a cocktail of fear and doubt at Maria making her shudder. She gained her composure back after a few minutes though and straightened herself again.

"Nice I see your powers are still working. Are you sure you don't want to join my army?" she said in a nonchalant manner as if they were sitting in a coffee shop and talking about movies.

Jasper spat at her as a reply. It was enough of a reply for her as she let out a booming laugh shaking widely.

"Ah! What entertainment. So Jasper Hale or Cullen or whomsoever you are because the Jasper Whitlock I knew did not rely on his powers to win a fight. He 'played fair'" she said using apostrophes.

Jasper knew that Maria was trying to manipulate him as that was what she did best but still he decided to amuse her and fight this without his empathetic powers. He had as much confidence on his fighting skills as much as he had on his powers.

"Fair enough" said Jasper looking into Maria's eyes as Maria gave away a small smile. If there was something Maria hated it was losing. She hated losing even as a human child and if she was losing she made sure the others lost too. 'If you can't win it make sure the others lose too'. She knew that with Jasper using his powers she would be rendered useless and that was not something Maria liked or preferred. She was an amazing fighter, she had taught Jasper to fight and the tricks which she knew even her finest major did not know. Her army was almost finished with that idiot Joham dying so early on but she still had the chance to escape. Her plan was simple to kill Jasper once and for all and then escape back to the south where she was still a renowned warlord and this would not affect her reputation at all.

"So let's do this" said Maria rubbing her hands evilly "Ready to die Major Whitlock or should I say Jasper Cullen now that you associate with humans forgetting everything I have taught you"

Jasper shook his head giving her a confident smile "No ready to kill you"

"Such confidence I like it" said Maria in a ridiculously fake sweet voice as they both got into crouching positions circling one another.

Jasper was the first to lay a blow but Maria was faster as she moved to the side avoiding his blow.

"Let me be the first person to tell you this Jasper. You are dying today" said Maria as she laid a roundhouse kick directly on Jasper's chin roughly pushing him behind. Jasper staggered behind by a few steps before trying to punch her which she very clearly defended. This went on for a while with Jasper attacking and Maria defending and then her counter attack him again. Though vampires could not get tired he was exhausted as of now. Whatever he tried Maria was faster and got out of it. He knew at this rate he was dying today and Maria was still playing with him. She had not actually started fighting yet. No he could not die today. Maria would escape and a few years from now she would strike again. This had to end today. Sometimes in a fight to defeat evil you have to play unfair. If you cannot defeat the opponent by being fair be unfair but destroy the evil. Jasper did not like following this as a norm but he knew that this was what was needed at this point of time. He had to do this not only for himself but for Peter, Charlotte and every other vampire who had lost their life due to Maria's greed. He had to do this for Jennifer whose life would be a constant threat and he had to do for the La Push pack that deserved a break. With this in mind he combined all the emotions he could think of from fear to pain to anxiety to sorrow and threw it at Maria in a large extent. Maria fell to the ground as the cocktail hit her covering her ears and shaking in fear. Her eyes widened as she realized what Jasper had done and Jasper took satisfaction in looking at her terrified face.

"No you promised to play fair" shouted Maria as a bout of pain hit her again

"To end evil extreme measures are sometimes required Maria and I have no guilt for using the powers you taught me to use on you itself" said Jasper as Maria fell to the ground shaking in fear. Her body was convulsing in what looked like a panic attack and without further delay he ended her tyranny, evil never lasts for long as someday someone comes to end it.

What are second chances? Are they real or are they just a myth created for the hopeful minds? Bree often used to ponder on these questions but she had never thought that life would offer her a second chance in the form of the man she called her mate. When she looked at him she wanted to be good as he brought out that inner goodness from within her. Though the situation in which they had found one another was terrible she would not have it any other way. She was glad to have found him. They were a good team she realized as within minutes combining both of their powers they had managed to kill half of Maria's remaining army. Just a few remained and they could feel the taste of success on their tongue. Nahuel was fighting a vampire she recognized as Clara in one corner of the clearing when she turned to set her target and came face to face with Diego.

"Diego" she shuddered looking at her sire

"Glad to see you remember me traitor" he spat out with a growl

She unsuccessfully willed herself to release the fireball but with every step her took ahead her non beating heart froze. Without her power she was useless in front of Diego and he would crush her within minutes after all he was Maria's right hand man and the one who taught the newborns to fight.

"Because of you my Maria is dead and so is her dream" he said grabbing her small body in his arms and using all his force to crush her arms. She cried out in pain as the force on her arms increased. She again tried to release her power but it refused to comply. She looked at Nahuel who was still engrossed in his own fight and hoped that somehow he would realize in all this commotion that she needed him.

"You bitch" Diego said pulling her hair from the scalp "Maria treated you like a child and you betrayed her"

"He is my mate" pleaded Bree trying to make Diego understand who looked at her like this statement made absolutely no difference to his life.

"Please" she repeated begging for a chance or maybe just time before Nahuel realized that she needed him.

He shook his head "Traitors like you don't get chances"

"Then I will fight you" shouted Bree as a last resort. No her second life had just started. It was not going to end so fast.

He gave out a maniacal laugh "I dare you to try"

With all the strength she had within her she hit, kicked and punched Diego only to feel like he was playing with her. With every blow his laugh increased and so did her humiliation. She was a newborn indeed but her strength was not exceptional when compared to Diego whose power was unparalleled strength.

After playing around for a few minutes Diego grabbed Bree by her shoulder crushing it and threw her in the fire she had thrown his army members in. Bree's story had ended even before it started. Not everyone got a second chance in life and maybe this was her penance for the lives she had taken.

Nahuel rushed to Bree's side in shock when he noticed her disappearance from the battle field and the pain in his chest. The sight which welcomed him made him go livid in fury. His Bree was no longer with him and her killer was laughing looking at her burning corpse. He went ballistic in anger as he faced Diego with only one thought in mind to make him suffer like Bree had suffered. 'Why hadn't he listened to his instincts before?' he scolded himself but what use was it of the damage was already done.

Diego was taken by surprise when all he could see was mirrors around. He tried finding an exit from the creepy vision that surrounded him but he soon realized that there was no exit. He was stuck here. He could not tell what happened next as every inch of his body hurt and he felt the physical pain of being ripped apart and painfully rejoined before being ripped apart again. He begged for mercy just like his last victim Bree had a few minutes back but just like her he got no mercy and finally he gave out a sigh of relief when he felt himself go up in flames. His last thought, though was that he was going to be with his Maria again.

Nahuel looked at his mate's killer for a few minutes before he touched his chest where he could feel the pain of his missing mate. She was gone and he was left behind. He had just found her a few minutes back. How could life be so unfair? He stood staring at the fire for a few minutes as the fight faded in the background, very few newborns were now left and the others could take care of them. He needed his Bree, he did not know anything about her, her likes her dislikes, her past he knew nothing and the emptiness within him stayed. Now that he had found her living without her was impossible. He thought about his sisters for one last time wishing them both all the happiness in their long life and promising to meet them someday again before he too jumped into the pyre to join his mate in the afterlife. Now that he had found her he was not staying away.

Quil Ateara the jokester of La Push, the man who reduced the tension in any gathering with his amazing humor quotient, the man who could never be serious in life was for probably the first time in his life completely serious as he faced one of the last remaining vampires left on this field. His chocolate brown coat shined in the sunlight as the vampire with blonde hair crouched in an attacking position in front of him. This was not the first vampire he had killed not before and not even today but a part of him hoped that this would be the last one. The last one he had fought earlier today had ended up giving him a broken leg that throbbed badly and a many broken ribs. It was a miracle how he was still alive or even in wolf form as they involuntarily phased back when they were hurt but maybe his duty was still not over and his wolf knew this. Even though his body hurt and complained in exhaustion as the vampire pounced he let his wolf run on instincts and within minutes it was over. He crouched and fell on the floor taking his human form again as he screamed in pain. Even with his fast healing his body hurt. He did not notice when Jared came to pick up the pieces of the dismembered vampire. All he knew was he may be a complete goofball but when the need arose he could be the member his team relied on.

The proud black wolf observed the sight as he saw his Alpha fight with the last remaining vampire of the newborn army. The vampire may have been a newborn but he had never seen wrath like the Alpha wolf which fell on him and it was not even an equal fight when Jake ripped his parts apart and phased back to throw them in the fire emitting purple smoke. It was over. The feeling of victory ran through that air loud and clear. The newborn army was defeated. They had won.

Sam looked around himself as he still sat on his paws. Paul was sitting on the ground having phased back and he had a few scars on his body and one on the forehead which was still bleeding, other than that he looked fine. Jared and Seth were okay too as they stood in the clearing burning all the remains well so that no vampire could escape. Brady and Ben were scared and exhausted but looked physically fine with Brady only having a twisted arm which would have to be treated. Quil looked the worse out of all as his leg was twisted in a weird way and he was hardly holding it together in human form. Sam wondered how he had kept fighting as his screams became louder. He would need immediate medical attention Sam deduced. The vampires were fine too he observed as they sat around one another tending to their own wounds and surveying the damage.

Damage was a very small word to describe what had just happened. Yes they had won but it was at a prize. The pack had lost a member with several other injured and even Jennifer and Maysun had lost their brother today. The clearing was completely damaged with purple smoke pyres everywhere and as Sam phased back observing the two new scars his arms now held he knew that victory had a prize to pay, for some it was less but the others had paid with much more.


	28. Chapter 28

Thank you GomezAddams1, MammaNita4, catgrl, Taylor9901, sarae32, brankel1 and the guest reviewer for your reviews.

"_It's pretty scary to know_

_how quickly time flies"_

_\- James Wan_

Chapter 28-

_Three years later –_

The strange thing about time is that it flies when you are happy and goes as slow as a snail when you wish it would hurry. When you are happy days become weeks, weeks become months and before you know it years have passed and the same holds true for my life. It feels like yesterday when I was still an eighteen year old attending high school and focusing on supernatural problems that no normal teenager goes through except here in La Push where the definition of normal is completely unlike the norm but in reality time had done its work and here I was twenty one year old Bella who could not have asked for a better life and better people to spend it with.

"The Bride is asking for you" said a worried Sue coming and standing where I had been overlooking the flower arrangements, completely lost in my reverie.

I nodded my head as I took a look at her. Sue's eyes had a faraway glaze in them as she wiped the rare one or two tears falling from her eyes though I knew that this was just the beginning and by the time the ceremony began she would be full out crying the tears though would be of happiness.

Sue soon left to assist Charlie in straightening his monkey suit as he had termed it a few months back annoyed refusing to wear it today though one angry look by Sue and he had begrudgingly accepted it while I made my way towards the room which was reserved for the bride in vampire haven where the ceremony was being held.

Vampire haven was the name fondly given by us to the mansion, more like estate owned collectively by our vampire friends who though had left La Push three years back to find their own footing, had left a three storey mansion behind here in Forks for them to come back to whenever they missed their 'extended family' as they had termed us and today was a special occasion indeed where all of them had returned here again to be with us.

I slowly opened the huge timber door to a familiar sight and entered it with a smile on my face. A heavily pregnant Rachel smiled at me from where she was curling the bride's hair and putting it in an updo while Rose did the makeup to perfection much to the bride's annoyance who was constantly telling Rose to tone it down and hurry up.

I rolled my eyes at her impatience as I walked up to my namesake as she sat huddled close to her mother and aunt who by the looks of it had just arrived in Forks.

"Hey sweetie" I said as she looked up at me from underneath her long eyelashes, pale skin tone and green eyes, a smile lighting up her face at my sight.

"Aunt Bella I missed you" she said excitedly as she got up from the couch to give me a hug I gladly returned. Isabella Grace was my goddaughter and the equation we shared was unlike any other. Just like the name she shared with me, she shared my love for reading and cooking too and also the optimism and responsibility factor. Being as young as she was she was extremely mature and responsible for her age and her intelligent conversations often trumped the rest of us confusing us on who was the kid and who was the adult between her and us though her preciousness was not that much of her boon for her parents who were often stumped by her intelligence.

"I missed you too" "You were this small when I last saw you" I said laughing and making the action using my hands as she blushed profusely.

"You know I grow fast" she said shyly like the twelve year old she looked like instead of the two years and seven months old she actually was. Isabella Grace or Izzy as we called her was a miracle in itself that no one had expected and the first child to be born in our extended family. Her parents Garrett and Maysun had not even told anyone about her till a week after the battle when Maysun had first started spotting a small belly. With the fast paced nature of her pregnancy Garrett and Maysun had been too afraid to wander far as it would be a high risk they were not willing to take and also Sue was the closest they could get to medical attention though Carlisle had offered to fly in for the delivery during the last few days of her pregnancy, the pack making an exception for once. Garrett and Maysun had spent the remaining four months and three weeks of her unusual fast paced pregnancy in La Push staying at Sam's house while the other vampires had continued staying in Forks in the same house I had grown up in, not wanting to leave their friends behind during such a period. During that period Maysun and I had formed a sisterly bond unlike any other as I had been one of her main caretakers and by the end of her pregnancy Garrett and Maysun had decided to name me and Sam as their unborn child's godparents. Isabella Grace was born in Sam and by that time even my house at the end of five months looking more like a month old baby than a newborn though what had confused us most was her green eyes as both her parents shared the feature of light golden eyes from feeding on animals. Garrett though had later remembered that he had had green eyes when he was still human and that had been passed down to Izzy.

The vampire and hybrid clan had stayed in Forks for another Six months after Izzy's birth by the end of which Izzy looked and behaved more like a five year old while they built this mansion of a house after which they had gone their own way promising to return soon though this was the first time they had actually returned since they left. Garrett, Maysun, Jennifer, Jasper and Izzy had left for Pennsylvania opting to stay in one of the smaller cities while Izzy who we knew was immortal, grew up whereas Peter and Charlotte had left for Houston, Texas where they owned a ranch and Emmett and Rosalie had left for Alaska from where they were going to start their travelling adventures living life as a nomad.

"Bella" said Jennifer as she gave me a warm hug. Jennifer too had come a long way from the nervous girl who was afraid to even see in another's eyes and by the constant video calls that I had with her I knew that she was studying to be a lawyer now and was on the road to be a confident smart woman. Jasper's support and patience had come a long way in helping her come out of her shell and though they both were not yet officially together, Jasper was just content with being her friend for now and as he put it he had all of eternity to spend with her so what were a few years of wait.

I spoke to Maysun and Jennifer for a while as they told me of their life back in Pennsylvania while Jennifer studied, Maysun looked after the house and helped in homeschooling Izzy who would be growing rapidly for another five years whereas Jasper was now a History professor in high school and Garrett owned his own garage working as a mechanic. They were content as of now though they knew that they would have to leave soon as people were starting to get suspicious of their ages but that was the downside of being immortal, they could never stay anywhere for long.

Kim and Emily too joined us in our conversation as they helped the others get ready, reminding me of the days prior to the battle when we spent time together talking about just anything and everything to calm ourselves from the tense environment around. It seemed like nothing had changed yet I knew in reality a lot had changed between those days and today.

"And you are ready" said a cheerful Rosalie from where she was standing opposite the bride carefully putting her makeup back in place so as to not lose it or spoil it in any way. Rosalie was by far the prettiest woman I knew of even with the three angry scars that marred her face on one side and she definitely did not need makeup to add onto but it was more like a matter of liking in her case and so she owned a very impressive collection of cosmetics consisting of various shades of items I had never even heard of all belonging to the likes of MAC, Chanel, Elizabeth Arden and Anastasia Beverly Hills.

"Finally" said the most important person in this room, the bride sighing giving the rest of us a frustrated look as she got up from her seat opposite the huge mirror in the room. She started nervously pacing the room as anxiety took over her features as she mumbled to herself incoherently.

"We will give you some time to talk" said Emily giving me a look as I nodded my head in agreement. Being the matron of honor calming down the bride was one of my main duties though and I knew the pre wedding nervousness she was going through well as I had been through them too. The rest of them soon left the both of us alone in the room to talk.

"Look at you" I said in a teasing manner looking at her in her white strapless simple gown which was floor length and a simple veil accompanying it that was left flowing. Her nearly waist length hair had been curled and put into an updo and she was spotting light makeup that brought out her native features even more. Adding to it the high heels that she was wearing and she looked like a bride out of Seattle Bride "He will not know what hit him when he sees you. You look absolutely breathtaking"

She rolled her eyes as she sat down on the bed "I am terrified. What if something goes wrong? What if he realizes that this is a mistake and…"

"Leah will you calm down" I interrupted her sighing "He loves you and you love him and you know that. Nothing like that is going to happen. You have been together for three years now engaged for six months out of those"

"Yeah but" she whispered

"No buts Leah. You are just anxious. It is all going to work out trust me" I said sitting down next to her

"Is it too late to elope? Imagine standing up in front of all those people…" she asked chuckling and widening her eyes

I gave her an amused look with a slight laugh "Dad will shoot you and me both if you elope for putting the idea in your head"

She mimicked my laugh "Damn you got out lucky"

"Yeah perks of getting married first" I said as I thought about my own marriage day more than two years ago. Sam and I had been engaged for almost eight months by then and being the first couple planning to get hitched out of the group were exhausted with all the planning and suggestions by the others no matter how sweet and helpful they were. The lot of them could just not decide on the same thing be it catering, decoration, venue or music and an impromptu vacation to Vegas had led us to come back as Mr. and Mrs. Sam Uley. I have never seen Charlie as livid as then as he looked at us with his vein popping out and I almost thought he was going to take out his gun to shoot Sam but he had just settled with grunting and giving Sam a scary look who had squirmed in his seat in discomfort. So no I definitely did not want a repeat of that day for Leah and Paul.

Leah sighed as she laid down her forehead on my shoulder reminding me of the time when we were eleven and twelve year olds still naïve and innocent kids who lived in the same house and spent the days together sitting in the tree house Charlie had built us daydreaming about today.

"We grew up so fast didn't we?" she whispered as I nodded my head wiping a stray tear from my eyes. I was married and by the end of today even Leah would be Leah Lahote instead of Leah Clearwater. Time had flied and had brought us to today a long way from two sisters who had shared every dream and every childish wish of theirs growing up. The journey had seen a few bumps on the way but it had finally reached its destination, a happy destination.

I took a look at her something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue as we joked about the pleasant memories of our childhood and how Leah and I used to make Seth wear our dresses and apply makeup on him and how Rachel and Rebecca did the same with Jake. The poor younger brothers went through hell having two older sisters of the same age and how the four of us Rachel, Rebecca, Leah and I had had sleepovers as kids already choosing our maid of honors and our something olds even before we knew who we were going to marry.

A knock at the door brought us out of our laughter as Sue entered followed by Charlie.

"It is time" said Sue taking a look at Leah who was now smiling having forgotten her anxiety and the earlier thoughts of worrying.

"I should get back to Sam. He will be wondering where I am" I said as I left the room to give Charlie and Sue some alone time with Leah and made my way towards the backyard where the ceremony was being held.

I walked to where Sam was standing talking to Peter and Charlotte as they told him about their recent trip to Antarctica and how having no other choice they had to survive on penguins which tasted disgusting according to them both. Peter and Charlotte were the only ones out of whom we knew who still stuck to the normal human blood diet though they often relied on the blood from blood banks instead of killing anyone. Sensing that I was nearby Sam put his hand out for me to take and I put my hand in his standing next to him. Even though Sam had not phased in nearly three years now his sense of smell and hearing was still higher than a normal human's though he had lost the body warmth and immortality that had come with being a shape shifter.

We spoke to Peter and Charlotte for some more time before they made their way to where Jared and Kim were to talk to them and Sam wrapped an arm around me pulling me close to him and making me face him.

"You okay?" he asked me in a serious tone "No…"

"Sam I am fine" I interrupted him softly afraid that someone would overhear us amidst a group of supernaturals as he kissed me on the forehead lightly. As he let go of my face I took a look at him properly in his tuxedo making him look even more handsome than usual, my hands involuntarily ran through the battle scar he had just above his eyebrow. I could still remember that day when I closed my eyes. We imprints and elders had been waiting at Sam's house for what seemed like hours when Alex had finally howled the two howls signifying that they were safe and were coming back and we had rushed outside without waiting for anything else. One by one all the pack boys and vampires had returned and the imprints and hybrids had run to them to greet them back. Sam had been the last to come out of the woods as he had carried Quil back who was not in the condition to walk yet and Emily had ran to them worried about Quil. Sam had made Quil lie down on the couch in the living room as Sue had immediately started working on him while Emily stood by her side helping her and calming Quil who was shouting in pain. Sam had just come to where I was, wrapping his arms around me pulling me close to him, breathing in my scent and we had stood there for minutes. At that time I had traced this scar over his eyebrow that had been left by a vampire's nail though luckily there had been no venom in the nail or it could have been fatal to Sam as venom was extremely dangerous and life threatening for shape shifters. A few minutes later the commotion had settled and Maysun had screamed loudly that Nahuel was not there and we had realized that neither was Jason. Jake and Jasper had made everyone sit down before they narrated everything that had happened on the battlefield back to us and Jennifer and Maysun had cried in Jasper and Garrett's arms listening to their brother's demise. None of our eyes were without tears when Sarah had taken the phone to call Jason's parents asking them to come back as soon as possible. The next few days had been heavy on us as we all lived through pain and loss and funerals were organized but birth and death is a part of life and you cannot really escape it in life though when I looked at Claire even today I knew that she often thought of Jason. Claire was now fifteen and had recently been told about Seth imprinting on her which she had taken in stride. They had just started dating a month back though owing to their young age the entire pack had made it a point to keep a watch on them just like Jason would have.

"Come on" Sam said as we saw Rosalie sit on the piano to play the processional music for the wedding. I could see Paul standing by Billy at the altar who was officiating with a huge grin on his face as he waited for Leah to arrive. It was still hard to believe that Paul the ex womanizer and Leah the girl who swore against love at one point of time were the second to marry in the pack. It was completely unexpected and a few had even betted that Leah would say no to Paul when he proposed not because she didn't love him but because she was not really pro marriage but she had said yes and six months later here they were.

Seth and Claire were the first to walk down the aisle locking arms with one another, followed by Embry and Rachel who were engaged too but were waiting for their son to be born before tying the knot. Jared and Kim walked out next who were still happy just dating but Sam had told me how Jared was going to soon pop out the question. Quil and Emily had followed after them who were also engaged but had no plans of getting married as of yet. Quil was the only one who was still facing the repercussions of the newborn battle as he had a permanent limp that came when he walked. One of his legs had been badly twisted and stamped on three years ago and even after the accelerated healing he had been unable to completely recover though it had done nothing to hamper his goofy playful mood. He was the same old Quil Ateara we had all known.

Sam and I were the next to walk down the aisle as he took my hand in his, kissing me on the cheek at the end of the aisle as we took our positions as the best man and matron of honor. Being the second to marry in the pack and the first ones to actually have a ceremony Paul and Leah had decided to have several bridesmaids and groomsmen to accommodate all of us in the wedding. Eight year old Hazel was the last to walk out as the flower girl with Izzy being the ring bearer.

Finally Leah walked out with Charlie on her right side as she walked down the aisle to where Paul was standing waiting for her, with a shy smile on her face. Her face was radiating with happiness as she blushed and I had never seen her this happy before.

Charlie kissed her cheek as she went on to stand opposite Paul. The ceremony was short and sweet and their happiness was visible on their face as they said their vows and said I do promising to be with one another and to love one another till death. I have never seen Leah as happy as the moment when Billy pronounced they man and wife and introduced the new Mr. and Mrs. Lahote with Paul kissing Leah like his life depended on it. Looking at them I knew that their happily ever after had finally arrived.

The reception followed being conducted in the massive hall inside Vampire Haven and Sam wrapped his arms around my waist as we stood watching Paul and Leah taking their first dance together as a married couple as they whispered in one another's ears blissfully in love.

"I can't wait to tell everyone" said Sam in my ear as he touched my still flat stomach lovingly.

"I know me too" I said thinking of the baby that will be in my arms in just a few more months. We had found out that I was pregnant just yesterday after taking a pregnancy test after my continuously puking and realizing that I had missed my period but had decided till after the wedding to tell everyone of this. Today was Leah and Paul's day and no matter how happy they would be to hear of this I wanted it to be just their day.

"Come on let's dance" said Sam pulling me towards the dance floor where all the couples were now joining in and Leah was dancing with Charlie while Paul danced with Amy. Jared and Kim were dancing in one corner while Jasper and Jennifer softly moved to the tunes in the other corner. Even Garrett and Maysun joined in and so did Rosalie Emmett, Peter Charlotte and Seth and Claire. Embry danced with Rebecca who had specially flown down from Hawaii for Leah's wedding while Jake danced with Emily. Jake, Seth, Brady, Collin, Ben and Alex were still phasing whereas the others had all quit by now owing to the fact that there had been no vampire sightings in three years and patrols were no longer needed. Out of all of them only Seth had imprinted as of now though but the rest of them were in no hurry and were enjoying being single.

"Bells" said Charlie coming to where I was standing and putting his hand out forward "You took this chance away from me two years back"

I nodded my head as I gave him a smile as he took me onto the dance floor for a father-daughter dance. We moved to the soft tunes in rhythm, playing by the band Leah and Paul had hired for today.

"I am so happy for you and Sam and even Leah and Paul that you finally reached where you were supposed to be and even Seth and Claire. Life has just begun for you all and I am a lucky man that I got to see all four of my children to be this happy in life" said Charlie with a quivering heavy voice

"Dad" I said as my voice became heavy too with all the emotions swirling within me "You know that you and mom will always have us right? No matter where we go we will always be there for you both and each other"

He nodded his head "Yeah I know"

We danced till the song ended before making our way back to where everyone was sitting and talking and making jokes after which the funny toasts that were meant to embarrass Paul started with Sam and Jared talking about his childhood and his awkward teenage years and as I looked around me at the happy laughing crowd I knew that life was finally looking up at us.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_Eight months later – _

"Come on Bella Push" Leah's booming voice came as I groaned in unimaginable pain

"What do you think I am doing right now if I am not pushing?" I snapped back annoyed. My temper had been skyrocketing these last few months with the hormones, the baby kicking and using my bladder as a Squeeze toy and I had even quoted the famous dialogue from 'Friends' No uterus no opinion a few many times by now on Sam and the other pack boys and especially when I had the Braxton Hicks contractions also known as false labor.

"Ouch" said Sam wincing in pain as I held onto his hand tightly and I knew that luckily some of supernatural strength had stayed back with him or he would have definitely ended up with a few broken bones by now.

"One final push Mrs. Uley" said the doctor "The baby is almost out"

I screamed in pain as Sue wiped the sweat off my forehead.

"Why must girls bear all this pain?" I asked Sue half shouting in pain and half crying

"Because boys cannot bear pain" she said softly still running her hands through my matted hair

"Yeah" said Leah chuckling "Paul snubbed his toe accidently yesterday at the edge of the bed and cried out like a little girl for an hour straight wincing about how much it hurt"

"Leah" Paul's loud voice came from the corridor outside indicating that he had heard what Leah said while Leah just shrugged in return "He should not behaved like that if he did not want me to joke about it later"

Sam gave Leah an annoyed look before looking at me "come on Bella one more push and it is over"

"You are never touching me again Sam Uley" I said glaring at him as he looked everywhere but at me. I know it was not technically his fault that the condom tore and it was the one day when I had missed taking my birth control pill but still here I was now.

"All women says that in here" said the doctor chuckling before I started pushing again with all I had within me and finally I took a sigh in relief and fell onto the bed when I heard the cry of my baby as the doctor took the baby in his arms cutting the cord.

"You did it" said Sam kissing me on the forehead

"We created a baby" I said in a tearful voice looking at Sam whose face was a visage of expressions ranging from surprise to happiness to pride.

"Congratulations it's a girl" said the doctor giving us our baby girl after cleaning her up as Sue and Leah went outside to tell the others of her birth. The minute I took my baby for the first time in my arms I instantly knew that I would do everything in my power to protect her and keep her safe. Sue had once told me that you never truly understand a mother's love till you become a mother yourself and I now knew the truthfulness in that statement as I had not known this amount of selfless love before holding Nora Susan Uley my daughter in my arms.

X-X-X-X-X-X

_25 years later –_

"Yeah yeah I know you are waltzing around in Hawaii soaking in the sun scarring young couples away with your decade's old romance and PDA that seriously nobody should see but guess what, Paul is still alive even after I almost planned to murder him several times over the years for his apparent stupidity and to celebrate this fact and the fact that I am still married to this idiot we both are throwing a twenty fifth anniversary party next month. I know you will claim that you are busy doing absolutely nothing except chilling around but you have to come back. All of us will be meeting again after so long and honestly I miss my sister" Leah's voice came from the audio message she had sent us over the phone.

I looked at my husband of over twenty seven years as he sat on the love seat in our hotel room sketching on a piece of paper completely lost in his own world. I rolled my eyes at the sight, some things were never meant to change and even today Sam sketched in his free time ignoring everything and everyone around him for that small while.

"So what do you say?" I asked him referring to the audio message

He gave me a confused look as he looked up and I sighed and played the message again.

He shrugged at the end of it "It is your choice. We have been here for three weeks now"

I nodded my head sadly "let's go back. I want to meet everyone. It has been so long"

He opened his arms for me to come closer and I walked to the love seat sitting next to him as he wrapped his familiar arms around me and I breathed in relief.

"Nora will be coming from Seattle. You know how close she is to Leah and Paul" said Sam as I nodded my head in agreement.

Our daughter Nora was now twenty five years old and was working as a journalist based in Seattle and was exceptionally close to Leah and Paul and their only son Daniel who still lived in La Push. She was happy and successful in her life and Sam always got a look of pride on his face when he spoke about her.

Our younger son and my baby boy Tyler Charles Uley was born twenty three years back and had recently graduated from SAIC, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and was as artistic and aesthetically inclined as his father and as of now still lived in Chicago.

And as for us, Sam had kept the promise he had made to me nearly twenty eight years back of travelling the world one fine day after he retired as the chief and the day after Tyler had left for SAIC even we both had packed our bags and had left La Push giving our house to Brady and his wife Jenna to stay who were looking for a larger place.

In the past five years we had seen New York and London which was on the list of our dream destinations which we had discussed even before we started dating. We had seen the Colosseum in Rome and had been to Bali in Indonesia. We had travelled to Sydney, Australia and had seen the Pyramids of Egypt and now finally three weeks back we had arrived in Hawaii.

"We really need to thank Peter and Charlotte" I told Sam as he nodded his head knowing what I was talking about. Twenty eight years back before Peter and Charlotte had left for their ranch in Houston they had told us all how they had acquired all this wealth or how the Cullens had become so rich. While Peter, Charlotte, Garrett and Jasper relied on Peter's ability of clairvoyance to predict which stock will rise and which will not the Cullens relied on Alice and her visions and Peter had taken a small token of money from all of us before he left which had been invested with his money and over the years had turned out to be fruitful as all ex pack members now owned quite a fortune that Peter still regularly deposited in our accounts. This money that had multiplied had given us enough to send our children to college, in my and Sam's case travel the world or for the ones who stayed back in La Push give them a luxurious life and save some for our next generations who would live a much better life than most of us had. Though most of us had still worked there had not been much pressure on us as whatever we earned was added to that account. Charlie had called it a payback from destiny to all the wolves who sacrificed their childhood and teenage years to protect another's life.

"So should I book the tickets?" asked Sam as I looked at him nodding my head. His hair had a few gray streaks in them and he still kept it cropped like all those years back. He was forty seven now and wore glasses but still had the body builder physique he owned when he was nineteen and I always told him that he had aged like fine wine.

"We are going home" I said with a grin as he pecked me on the lips pulling me closer to him. Ah some things never change.

X-X-X-X-X-X

La Push was the still the same small little town though it now had more restaurants, shops and recently renovated houses. Sam drove the rental car we had taken from Seattle as I stared outside the window in wonder thinking about the memories I had shared with this place from Charlie marrying Sue and me moving to the reservation to being saved by Paul when I was about to be bullied, growing up with Leah and Seth to looking after the baby of our family, Hazel and meeting Sam and him imprinting on me to becoming a part of the pack. The ups and downs of our life as we faced everything that came in front of us, it being the council or a member of the pack randomly phasing. The stress of the newborn army to finding ways to connect their wolves to the pack before Jake phased. This place, these woods had seen so much and even today refreshed so many memories for me. The later memories also filtered through my mind from our marriage to our children's birth to their birthdays and graduations to finally them leaving for college. It felt like an entire era had passed in these past forty six years of my life.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Sam

I shrugged as we passed the cliffs near Second beach "Sam, you remember how you all used to go cliff diving from the upper level cliffs"

He gave out a small laugh as he nodded his head "Have to thank the shape shifter genes for that. I can't dream of jumping of that monstrosity of a cliff now"

"You better not you old man" I said teasingly

He raised his eyebrows looking at me as a smirk appeared on his face "I remember you saying something completely different last night"

"Sam" I chided him as a blush overtook my face and his laugh filled the car. We had two grown up children but my husband still refused to grow up.

"It feels so good to be back" I said as he took my hand in his lightly squeezing it.

"Yeah it is" he said in agreement

We drove to the house Paul and Leah had created for themselves at the edge of La Push and parked the car in the driveway overflowing with cars. It seemed like we were the last to arrive. We got out of the car and walked to the open door of the house from where we could hear the sounds of laughter and loud music coming from inside.

As soon as we entered and saw the familiar faces a huge smile overtook my face. Time had changed but the people here had not changed so much and Leah had been correct when she had said that everyone would be here, no matter where who stayed they were here today for this party.

We were welcomed with warm hugs by the others as we spoke to Leah, Paul, Jared, Kim, Rachel, Embry, Quil, Emily, Jake and his wife Peyton, Seth and Claire, Brady, Jenna, Collin and his wife Lisa, Ben and Maggie and Alex whose imprint Sheila was not in town as we reminisced about the old days laughing to our heart's content.

I was talking to Rachel and Emily when I heard a very familiar voice that I had only heard four times in my life yet without the use of technology.

"Aunt Bella"

I looked up to see now fully mature Isabella Grace standing in front of me. She had reached her physical maturity at the age of seven and now looked like an eighteen year old that she would look like till eternity. She gave me a smile before coming over and hugging me. The last time I had seen her was ten years back when Sam and I had taken the kids with us on a vacation to Florida and she had been living there. She had lived with Maysun and Garrett till she was biologically eleven after which she had taken off on her own to see the world and meet others like her.

"This is Riley" she said introducing me to a vampire with golden eyes and blonde hair "My mate"

I gave her a huge smile as I spoke to Riley and congratulated them both. Surprisingly I had known Riley as a child as he too had lived in Forks before he was changed by a sadistic vampire in Seattle on a rainy day when he was eighteen. Luckily he had escaped and had travelled south where he had finally met Izzy after waiting for so long.

I saw Garrett, Maysun, Jennifer, Peter, Charlotte, Emmett, Rosalie and their son Ethan standing right behind her and went to talk to them while Jasper had directly gone to where Sam was standing talking to Jared and Embry no doubt to catch up with his old friends.

A few years after Maysun had given birth to Izzy, Rosalie and Emmett had gone to her to ask her if she would be willing to be the surrogate mother for their child as they now knew that male vampires could procreate. She had instantly agreed and with the help of Carlisle, Ethan McCarty had been born fulfilling Rosalie's wish of having a child nearly a hundred years after she became a part of this world. I have never seen anyone look as happy as Rosalie the day she had video called me as she held the baby Ethan in her arms. It was as if all her wishes had come true at once and she now had a reason to live, apart from Emmett.

Jasper and Jennifer on the other hand were officially the slowest couple to exist as they had just start dating two years back after knowing one another for twenty eight years and I had a feeling they would finally be married by the time I became a great grandmother.

I spoke to all of them for some more time before making my way towards where Billy was sat with Charlie watching baseball and drinking beer as always. They four Billy, Charlie, Sue and Sarah were now in their seventies and were still as close as before and still Billy and Charlie went fishing every other day while Sarah and Sue made Harry Clearwater's famous fish fry with the fish they brought home with them. I sometimes wished that we all would be as close as them at their age.

After dinner and many more conversations everyone finally sat in the backyard where a fire had been lit and stories were shared of the time passed by. As Nora sat on one side of mine and Hazel on the other with Tyler sitting next to Sam I knew that I was truly blessed.

"So Sam, Bella where is your next vacation?" asked Jared looking at us

"We are going to India to see the Taj Mahal" said Sam winking at me talking about the monument that was a symbol of love as I blushed profusely.

Imprinting may be a mystery but I would not have it any other way and our adventures had just begun.

A/N: Thank you so much everyone who read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story, the support means a lot.

-Hmz0975


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